


Melting Stone With Beautiful Insanity

by JJQuinn



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Backstory, Betrayal, Drinking, Drug Addiction, F/M, Falling In Love, Flashbacks, Friendship/Love, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Love/Hate, Minimal Self-Harm, Mystic Falls, New Orleans, Nightmares, POV Third Person, Paranoia, Self-Destruction, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-03 16:27:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 104,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5298266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJQuinn/pseuds/JJQuinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After 700 years of being hunted, Persephone realized she couldn't do it anymore, run from them; she'd die, everyone would. She had no other choice; it was death, or the Mikaelson's. Kol. A phantom heart thudded in her chest and her mind cut back to him. His face. His smile. His words. The way he touched her. The way he looked at her. The way she loved him. It came crashing down on her all at once, once again; everything he did to her.</p><p>Persephone read this quote once long ago that went something like, 'I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity'. And in that instant, she knew, the long intervals were her life, and he was her insanity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stopping The Flow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April 29th 2016: Thought I should note that this story is currently on a hiatus, and during that break I will convert the whole fic (all sixteen chapters as well as future ones) from the first person POV into a third person POV.
> 
> August 31st 2016: Well it took five damn months and tons of proofreading (damn, did I really have that many grammatical errors?) but it's done and all in third person and up to scratch. I hope you enjoy the new POV because it took me ages!
> 
> Hey, the "Legend Of Gorgons" below is not related to the story line, however it adds context to certain elements and my OC's characteristics. It's something I made up exclusively for the story based upon the real mythology of Medusa. It isn't necessary to read, you can skip over it if you just want to get to the story, but if you want a better understanding of what's going on, reading it should help. Thanks for reading. X

_**THE LEGEND OF GORGONS** _

_After the original gorgon, Medusa, was cursed by the goddess Athena, she killed people just by looking into their eyes, they were meant to be the most terrifying thing in the world, so terrifying, they turned people to stone. However Athena didn't think that was punishment enough for her sins, so she set out a group of skilled mortals, hunters, to try and kill her._

_After years of suffering in isolation and running from the hunters, the goddess, Hestia, took pity upon her, and she gave her a protector who could create and do things at will just as the gods could do, the first witch, named Orion. They lived together, all around Greece, running from the hunters. After spending so long together they soon fell in love and had a child named Thaddeus._

_Thaddeus was part witch part gorgon, however the gorgon part of him was dormant. Medusa and Orion wanted him to live a normal life, so they left him at a small costal village to grow out his days away from the chaos of his parent's lives. He had no idea he had the powers of a witch, they were not activated during puberty, so he lived a normal life as his parents intended while they ran and hid from the hunters. When Thaddeus was 22 years of age he married a woman named Rhea, they had three children, Lysander, Ivan, and Sapphira._

_However, when Medusa and Orion were once again moving to another village to hide, they unintentionally went back to the one where their estranged son was living. Orion saw his son with his wife and children, but without powers, and got angry with Medusa; he had spent his whole life running and protecting her whilst he missed out on watching his son grow up, and teaching him the way of magic. He was spiteful and demanded vengeance._

_He found the hunters and led them to Medusa, betraying her. The hunters cornered her and killed her by stabbing her heart. However unbeknownst to anyone, the gorgon curse travelled down the line of ancestors, and the minute Medusa died, the gorgon curse was activated in Thaddeus, causing him to kill his wife and son Ivan by accident by turning them to stone. He had no idea what he was._

_Orion went to see Thaddeus once Medusa was dead, to reveal his parentage to him, but when he found him, Orion saw that he was a gorgon. Disgusted by the curse he turned his back on his son's pleads for help and left._

_Orion married a human woman named Agatha, and birthed one son with her named Zennon, therefore starting a birth line of pure and mortal witches._

_However, Thaddeus was both of gorgon and witch blood. Although he didn't have magic, he could produce it temporarily from the souls of supernatural people he turned to stone. The curse mixed with magic caused him to be immortal, angering the goddess Athena. She therefore gave the hunters magic, however it was weaker than the ancestors of Orion, the witches. In compensation for this, she also gave them immortality, meaning they would spend the rest of their days hunting down gorgons._

_The gorgon curse was passed down to the living offspring's of a gorgon once they died. At the beginning, gorgons died at young ages, as they were unskilled and weak compared to the hunter's power. However, the curse spread through generations and the hunters had to work harder and harder to kill them all whilst the gorgons got stronger and stronger and more plentiful, their immortality being tested and their use of souls for magic being used._

_However, the goddess Hestia had great regret for everything she had done, creating Orion and causing this chaos due the the gorgons killing everyone for magic, so she gifted the hunters with a strand of her hair, which enhanced their magic to be stronger than any witch. There was then a great surge of gorgon killings until they went down to the last few, who have been living out for hundreds of years, running away their entire lives._

_And witches lived and multiplied, creating other supernaturals with their magic, such as werewolves and soon after vampires. However, the magic used to make them was all linked to the curse of gorgons, and with the death of the last gorgon, comes the collapse and death of all other super natural creatures existing._

* * *

_North of Greece - 1325_

" _Mama, the night is cold and we are weak, they will eventually find us, and we will either be dead or alive." Persephone whimpered at her mother as she grasped against her tightly. They were hidden away in a small hut within the trees. Wind whistled through the cracks in the wood, and darkness washed over them as they shivered in the corner._

" _Shh, Persephone, everything will be fine, the hunters will never find us, they'll never hurt us." Theodora whispered in her ear soothingly._

_But Persephone pulled away, and looked down at her mother's palms. "Mama, you never know that, they are getting stronger."_

_And her mother looked at her daughter's palms. "Yes, they may be, but I will do everything I can to protect you." She replied determinedly._

_Persephone listened to the sound of leaves rustling and snow twinkling upon the ground, creating fresh new layers and filling in their footprints. It brought her comfort. She put her hands up to her mother's face and gently felt it. She knew where everything was, like how a blind man knew where his nose was, she knew where her mothers was, her mouth, her cheeks, her eyes. It sometimes made her sad that she wouldn't ever see her mother's eyes with life in them. "Why can't I look at your face?" Persephone murmured softly to herself, even though she already knew the answer._

_Her mother's next words told Persephone of the sad smile on her lips. "Because, if you look at my face, you will look at my eyes, and that means you will become what I am, because you are my daughter it will not kill you, but it might as well." She put her head against her daughter's, knowing the subject was finished. "Now sleep, if you talk, they might hear us."_

_The icy air cut down Persephone's throat. Theodora answered the same way every time. But she was done, Persephone had to know the reason_ _**why** _ _, once and for all. "But, what's wrong with becoming like you?" She stuttered._

_Her mother slowly lifted her head and looked at Persephone's palms, it was their substitute for looking into each other's eyes. Theodora had always said that hands were the some of the most important things to a person; they were just as emotive as eyes. "I don't want this life for you Persephone," she whispered harshly, "I want you to have a normal life. If you become like me, it's a curse, you don't want to live like that. I want to you find a man, get married and have children. You can leave me when you're ready and finally be free, if you have the curse, you will never be able to do that. You wouldn't be able to have children. You wouldn't be able to have your husband look you in the eyes without killing him. Just one glance, one small moment of eye contact and it kills someone, and if its someone you love, it almost kills you."_

_Persephone could hear the faint sound of yelling and snow crunching, they were coming, but she didn't care, she wanted the curse in that moment, more than anything else. "But Mama, you can live forever, you have immense power, you are strong and I know that if you stopped running and tried fighting, you could kill the hunters, we_ _could kill the hunters together, with our eyes, if you just let me. I want the curse; I've enough of running, for all of my nineteen years. I am sick of hiding for no reason other than the fact I am your daughter and you are you._

" _It's not a curse, it's a gift. You have so much power at the surface of your eyes, but you are always too scared, too scared to use it. If I had the curse, I would be able to protect all of our kind, not just you and I. I would be able to kill the hunters. I don't want a husband and children; I want us to be able to be together without the hunters running after us, a family. I want to be able, to look into my own mother's eyes for the first time."_

" _You are only young, you don't understand that everything changes when you have the curse." Theodora breathed, wiping her hand over her child's face._

" _I do understand, its powerful, I want it. Let me have it, please." Persephone pleaded into my mother's ear, her breath icing, uncaring to her mother's warnings._

_Her mother was about to say something, but instead, turned her head away, voices from outside vibrated clearly through the thin air; they were near, and there was no escape, not this time. "Persephone," her mother pulled away and grabbed her shoulders, that was when she realized the bleeding must have started, as bloody handprints were pressed upon Persephone's dress, "the time has come for you to leave me once and for all, I can't have you here, if they fight I can't have you hurt and we are cornered if we stay here, but you can escape." She pointed over to a hole on the side of the wall. "Burrow through that and run for your life. There is a village a mile east of here, go there, and take refuge." Light from outside was washing in through cracks in the wall, creating a night sky pattern against the dirty floor; they were just outside. "Persephone, I love you." She kissed her child's palm, final in her actions._

" _Mama I can't leave you, I can't leave you alone, we are always together. We are family, mother and daughter." Persephone whispered, her voice cracking with emotion hot tears falling out of her eyes and salty streams streaking down her cheeks._

" _Persephone, you always knew the time would come when you would have to leave me to the hunters. Go to the village and don't look back, you'll know if I have died. If you get the curse I will be dead, if you don't, don't wait for me, you must live a normal life. I love you." Theodora kissed her child's hand one last time, and then shoved shoved her through the snowy hole in the wall, and Persephone was outside the back. Leaning against the wall from the outside she sat with snow soaking through her dress, her heart hammering against her ribs and bile rising up her throat as the realization of what was happening finally hit her._

_She could feel her mother's presence on the other side of the wall; even though her heart didn't beat and her lungs didn't work, Persephone could her mother's breathing, shaky, as she tried to muffle sobs against her hands._

_Theodora was waiting to die._

_Her mother had said she was to run, but Persephone couldn't leave her, she_ _**wouldn't** _ _leave her. She didn't know if her mother would hear her, but she talked anyway. "Mama, you have barely seen my face, only when I was a child and before the curse took you over, I want you to know, I have pink lips with a small cupids bow, I have clear white skin just like yours, I like to think that I have your nose. And, I have green eyes, like trees and leaves and the ocean. Thick black hair with waves."_

_The sound of the hunters slamming the front door down to the floor met her ears. Tears continued on streaming down her face and she clamped her hands to her mouth to stop herself from making a sound. She heard rhythmic chanting flooding the room and could feel the vibrations of their footsteps tumbling around the room from the wall._

_Screaming._

_Persephone stayed there and waited, just_ _**knowing** _ _that although her mother was in pain and scared, she would be brave, she would survive this, she would fight._

_Then the sound of screaming piercing her ears, the one that caused her heart to still, it was suddenly cut off. The chanting stopped, the footsteps faded, the light disappeared, the presence on the other side of the wall was gone._

_Scrambling back through the hole, Persephone saw that the hunters were gone. Looking around in the dull darkness, she found her mothers hand and grabbed and held on to it. But was she was met with was the feeling of limp and fleshy bones sagging in her hands._

" _No, no, no, no Mama." She flung myself over her, shaking Theodora desperately. "Mama, wake up wake up please."_

_She looked down to her gown and saw thick black syrup oozing into a puddle on the ground, staining the fabric that pooled around her._

_That was when she realized her eyes, Theodora's eyes, they weren't there, they had been torn out, and that was when Persephone doubled over in the pain; the curse was coming._

New York City, New York, 2015

Ducking down a dark alley, she jumped next a foul smelling dumpster, stilling her self as she clutched her knees to her chest. Persephone held in the urge to cough and clenched her jaw shut as tight possible. Her head throbbed and the world surrounding her was cloudy yet sharp, loud yet dull, and dark yet blindingly bright. Then, unable to hold it in any longer, she released and spluttered blood out onto the floor beside her; hoping they wouldn't see the trail she had left. Red tears streamed out of her eyes and blood dripped from my ears. Her joints scraped against each other with every move she made and her hair stuck to her face in blood and sweat.

But the agony was starting to subside, and she knew what that meant; another bout of hunters deterred.

Persephone tried to stand, but couldn't, so instead waited, and waited, until the blood stopped dripping, her moves stopped aching so much, and her brain was no longer pulsating in pain. She pulled the bag from her side and grabbed a small packet of tissues, roughly trying to wipe away any visible residue of what had happened away.

Weakly getting to her feet, she dashed out onto the street, needing to get out of there before they could regain their connection with her. Persephone ran back out into the dark and empty street, straining her eyes under the dim streetlights and moon, looking for a cab. Thankfully one was dropping off a drunk looking couple and she jumped in right after them. Slamming the door and sliding the lock down gave her a sense of security, no matter how false it was.

After giving the driver her address, she settled back into my seat and thought about what she would do. Closing her eyes Persephone felt her bones ache as the fatigue of the late night settled in. The hunters had closed in on her faster than they ever had before. They were either getting stronger with their magic, or she was getting weaker, or both.

Arriving at her apartment, she gave him money and rushed over to the front door just wanting to get away from the open air. Fumbling with her keys in her numb hands, the lock finally clicked and she sprinted upstairs and ran into her flat the door smashing shut behind her.

The hot air hit her face and sunk in, soothing. Making her short way to the living room, Persephone did what she normally did, and started to fall back into her sick routine; her things were dropped to the floor, shoes kicked off her feet that soon moved towards the cabinets, the doors were opened – her options evident and varied, her brain riling itself up for another day of drowning in whatever she decided to drink or take. She ran her fingers over plastic packets, sharp needles, small vials, tinted bottles, powdery bricks, all of Persephone's ways of getting out.

Her fingers stalled. She inhaled. She blinked.

_No. I can't do this. I can't._

She had been closer to dying today than she ever had before. And she was scared. She wasn't normally, nothing really frightened her anymore, but Persephone was this time. And that made her realize, her being _genuinely_ afraid, was something she had feared the most. Fear made her weak. That was when she saw clearly for the first time in a while. _This. Needed. To. Stop_.

She couldn't keep doing it. Just running and falling into the circle, then running and falling back into the circle. One misstep today, and she might not have been there, living. Instead, she would've been lying in a ditch in the dark, dead. Persephone needed to end it once and for all.

So she made a split decision then; she was going to leave. She hadn't even been in New York for long, hiding in plain sight didn't work, but she had been running out of options, and they were closing in on her faster each time. Persephone had spent the last 200 years 'touring' North America, the longest she had ever stayed in a continent other than Europe. And over those 200 years she had acquired 0 friends, 0 allies that were trust worthy, somehow managing to live off her compulsive aura.

But she couldn't go on like that.

Persephone had to leave now; she couldn't stay there now they knew were she was. It was getting harder and harder each time. They were getting strong, or she was getting weaker, and they had gotten onto her harsher than they ever had before. She didn't think she was going to survive.

She couldn't continue doing what she had been doing for the past hundreds of years, she needed to end this.

Instantly at the thought, Persephone ran to her bedroom and, grabbing the limp backpack that sat in her wardrobe, stuffing in some clothes, credit cards and small mementos. She paused and before she knew it Persephone was in the lounge room, a second bag in hand, in front of that cabinet, running her arms across the shelves, items of all sorts smashing to the floor, and others falling with a soft thud into her bag.

What was she doing?

" _You will need these later, I know you will. You'll see."_ Something inside of her spoke, and Persephone didn't have the will in that moment to fight it.

She needed to calm down and think, she needed a new plan, and she couldn't do it all alone, but who could help her? Persephone slowly inched down onto the armchair and sat before a large mirror leaning up on the wall across from her, looking at her reflection. Sounds from around her shitty apartment building, crying babies, screaming drug addicts, thuds from feet, and everything else, was drained out, so she could concentrate.

Persephone clenched her jaw and focused on what was before her, trying to unfurl the ball in her heart and head. Her long white waves lagged out from beneath her black hoodie, strains stuck to her forehead and around my temples in sweat and blood. Her yellow eyes were wet and frantic and her pallid skin was flushed from stress and panic. Her heavy boots weighed down my feet and she leaned forward and stared straight into her own eyes.

Who could she go to? Persephone had no friends; she had stopped making them hundreds of years ago. There was no one who would be willing to help her. Massaging her strained neck she listened to the loud sounds of drunken yells, car horns and garbage trucks from outside, still so vivid despite the time, and they all cascaded down around her. Rifling through her foggy mind, one person popped up. It had been hundreds of years ago when he gave her his word if she had ever needed something.

" _If you ever need something, come back here, and we will be ready. We will be ready for anything, especially the moment when you decide to finish this."_

She had to do it. Taking one deep breath, she decided that she was going back to confront her past, to ensure everyone had a future.

But a phantom heart started beating in her chest, and Persephone's mind cut back to him. His face. His smile. His words.

Her mind cut back, to when she used to catch him watching her, his eyes soft and a stupid smile on his face, the way he'd just brush it off and say "looking in the mirror behind you, darling, don't flatter yourself, you're nothing too special", then laugh and kiss her hand. Her mind cut back to when he used to comfort her when her night terrors came, when he used to wrap her in his arms and whisper in her ear to stop her from crying. Persephone's mind cut back to when they used to lie down on dewy grass and watch the stars and talk about things they loved and lost, the things that hurt them, that made them the broken way they both were.

She had read this quote once that used to make her cry when the nights were especially dark and cold. She used sob and sob until her vocal chords were raw and her eyes stinging. The quote was so true, as it applied to every single aspect of her life, but him, _Kol_ , the most.

'I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.'

Persephone knew the minute that she read that quote that her life was the horrible sanity, and Kol was her insanity, sweet and beautiful, but insane. Something that wasn't meant to be. And in fact, it was something that never was.

It wasn't real. Just a lie upon a lie that he carefully crafted to lift her high in the sky, to make him her whole world, then to just push it down and burn it until it was nothing but ashes and dirt. That was his goal and that was what her life became.

Ashes and dirt.

He was gone anyway. He couldn't hurt her anymore, even if she went back. Klaus had made sure of it. He had told her. They all had.

She smothered the feelings farther down like she always did, and tried to focus her mind on what was ahead.

Putting the key to the front door and a wad of cash on her bed, Persephone gave the flat one last goodbye, and stomped down the stairs and to her car parked down the road. Opening the trunk she threw my bags in amongst other things that were still in there from the last time she fled. Moving around to the drivers seat, she sat down and started the engine.

New Orleans, that was were he said they would be ready, where it all began. She didn't know if they would still be there after so long, but she had no alternative other than finding out. So that was where she was embarking upon. It was going to be a long and lonely drive but Persephone was used to it.

And after driving 18 straight hours of highways and roads, she had finally made it. Persephone had to admit; New Orleans was a beautiful place, just as she had briefly remembered it.

Lifting the hood up, she parked right outside the beginning French Quarter and grabbed her bags from the trunk, deciding to abandon her car hoping she'd never need it again. Starting to walk up a street filled with people walking about buzzing about to their daily business, Persephone tried as she could to remain as inconspicuous as possible. However walking around with two large duffle bags and blood still edged around her face didn't help.

She was thinking deeply. How would she find them? If they were even there, where would they be? Persephone needed to find out otherwise she would spend all her time wandering around the streets with nowhere to go and no one to help.

New Orleans was saturated with the supernatural everywhere; they would know where he would be. But could she really just walk into some shop and ask where Elijah Mikaelson lived without attracting questions? Considering his family's reputation that was unlikely. She couldn't trust anyone, only the Mikaelsons, and even that was still hard.

Nudging her way through crowds she was trying to scrape out any ideas to find him. Sighing, Persephone sat down on a small bench outside a bar called 'Rousseau's'. They had puffs of warmth streaming out from its door. She leaned back and shut her eyes. Something within her longed to go in and order a drink and lose herself, but she before she could act upon any primitive wants she was spoken to.

"Persephone?" A voice said. She could feel a presence before her and opening her eyes, she was met with the sight of the person she had been seeking out.

And Persephone abruptly stood up. "Elijah…" She started, her voice trailing off, not really having planned on what she was even going to say.

Standing there in a dark suit with his hair slicked back, his dark eyes searched her quietly, and Persephone watched as he slowly clenched his jaw, coming to a realization as to why she was there in front of him. He was silent, but slowly nodded, the calculating look in his eyes told her that he was thinking.

As he regarded her, Persephone felt a stab of self-doubt plunge within me; what if he wasn't willing to help? To keep his word? What if after she fled last time without a goodbye, what he said became moot value to him? She felt a lump in her throat swell up at the prospect of being turned away by the only person, by the only people, she had left, at the prospect that she would have to go through this all alone. She couldn't help but feel her eyes water. And she glanced away, blinking back tears, angry with herself for being so presumptuous when she just packed up and went there.

Persephone looked up when she felt Elijah place both of him hands on her arms, his grip firm and reassuring. He stared at her, unwavering. "It's been a long time." He said simply.

"I can't do it any more, Elijah, it's too much…" Her voice was weak and it cracked in the middle of the sentence. "I'm the last one, that's why I'm so weak now, I know it. It is all on me, you are all on me. I can't die, you all can't die, I can't-"

He soothingly rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "It's okay, I understand, I know Persephone, I knew this day would come." Elijah then let go and crossed his arms, his eyes concerned. "You know it's going to be long, and tough search and battle. You need to cooperate." He commented, voicing it almost like a question.

At this she let out a little laugh, him knowing that her stubbornness didn't give in to some of the most powerful people. But the smile slipped away from her lips, the gravity of the situation weighing down cripplingly once again. "I will do whatever it takes." Her tone was heavy, and deadly serious. "I don't really have a choice."

Elijah looked off into the distance thinking deeply as he always did. He deftly nodded at the declaration. "You need to come with me, it's not safe for anyone to know you're here." He grabbed onto her forearm and started away in a flash, taking her with him.

And before she knew it, Persephone was in a completely different place. Dizzy from Elijah just running off with her, she stumbled back, the world closing in on her. "Fuck Elijah, a little bit of a warning would've been nice." She hissed at him angrily.

"Please excuse my abruptness, but the French Quarter is home to some of the most dangerous supernaturals, I had to get you out of there, for everyone's sake." He put his hands on his hips and looked down at her condescendingly. "I can only help you if you let me. You need to be cooperative."

"Yes, I know Elijah and I'm grateful that we will finally end this war once and for all, just try and not whoosh around with me, okay?" She rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling exhaustion take over her body. Persephone looked up around, noticing that there was no ceiling, just an open clear sky. A feeling of familiarity brushed up against her, but she couldn't place it. "Where are we?"

"This is the compound." Elijah replied looking distracted, doing something on his phone. And then she remembered; this was where she had stayed for those brief days before she left them and ran off.

Then, she heard loud footsteps echoing down the hall that was presumably to outside and saw a tall figure striding to wards her. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the infamous Persephone Demetriou, long time no see I _must_ say." Klaus, it was Klaus Mikaelson. He stood right in front of her, smiling widely.

Something in the pit of her stomach dropped. She fought away memories of that night on the ship, the one night she had decided to be reckless with someone else, in my heartbreak. Persephone watched as his eyes grazed over her, him still smiling knowingly, knowing how uncomfortable she was when he looked at her like that, knowing it brought back those memories, despite the agreement they had. "Klaus. How are you?" She extended curtly, her voice already bored and tired of the conversation.

"Oh, I'm good as always. But I heard from Elijah you've been in a bit of trouble recently and you came to _us_ for help?" He asked, lowering his face to be level with hers, staring into her eyes, feigning shock and confusion.

Persephone bit the inside of her cheek and narrowed her eyes. "Klaus, you do know that if they get a hold of me you all die, right? So you really have no choice _but_ to help me."

Klaus's face broke out into a smile. "Feisty, that's why I always liked you, you've got quick wits." Elijah looked up from his phone, a trouble expression on his face, which he quickly tried to mask by letting out a sigh and rolling his eyes at his brother.

"Niklaus, aren't there _other things_ that need to to help accommodate Persephone here that aren't annoyed her?" He questioned, giving Klaus a pointed look that said he was insinuating something, widening his eyes slightly. Persephone watched uneasily as the two brothers stared at each other for a few moments, appearing to be having a silent conversation.

Klaus flared his nostrils, scowled, turned around and walked away, disappearing back outside, without a word. Elijah appeared of relax once he was gone, but only slightly. "Is there anything wrong?" Persephone asked unsurely, feeling a strange atmosphere hang in the air.

Elijah put his phone in his pocket and strode over to her, shaking his head dismissively. "Nothing of the sorts. We just must have to do some things to secure the area for you." He didn't give her the chance to respond before he continued on speaking. "Now please, let me direct you to your room, you look utterly fatigued and must need some sleep."

Elijah started making his way up some stairs; Persephone followed him, her feet heavy and her mind thick with thoughts and worry. After maneuvering around corridors, he stood her in front of a hefty looking wooden door.

"Now, this will be your room for the entire of your stay." Waving his hand over to another door across the hall. "This, is Rebekah's room. She will be sleeping here, so if you ever need anything, just ask her, I will make sure that she is always here to protect you."

Persephone looked up to Elijah and nodded. "Thank you for taking me in and helping me. You don't understand how much I appreciate it."

"No need to thank us, I always like to keep my word." Twisting around he stepped down the hall, quickly turning back around to say, "Please remember that under no circumstances will you leave the compound. And get some rest, you'll need it", and disappearing around the corner.

She pushed open the door and was met with the sight of Victorian opulence. Thick drapes hanging over the window, a dark four poster bed with heavy shimmering linen tossed over the top, dense carpets hugging her feet and an over sized dresser filled with old perfumes of crystal bottles and lavish looking necklaces and head pieces poking out from under the lid of an intricate looking box.

She dropped her bags down and rubbed her sore eyes. Even though it was only 6:00, Persephone was exhausted. Kicking off her boots and stripping herself down, she dressed into her only pair of haggard looking pajamas. Tying her thin wavy hair into a ponytail, she fell against the bed, falling asleep, almost immediately, to the thought of a world where she could _live_ , rather than just survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review if you can, I'm eager to know what people think, that includes everything from criticisms, praise, negatives, positives, questions, from anyone. Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job.
> 
> Whilst writing this, I have found it absolutely necessary to have a distinct picture of what Persephone, and other future, OC characters look like. I find it helps me with characterization. If you would like to see what I imagine she looks like, I have linked below a Flickr album of mine that has a picture of 'her' (as well as other characters I have created in future chapters).
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I just want to further affirm that this is a slow burn, and it might take a while to build up to the climax, but that certainly doesn't mean it's going to be boring, sometimes the buildup can be the best bit. X
> 
> ***I just want to say the quote, "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity", is definitely not something I came up with, and is actually a quote by the brilliant Edgar Allan Poe. I love a lot of his quotes, but this is one of my favorites, and it definitely applies to the story, especially in retrospect to Persephone's relationship with Kol, which will become very evident soon. Just had to make this clear, unfortunately, that quote is not mine.***
> 
> Next Chapter - Persephone is reunited with Rebekah, someone she has a complicated past with, and they talk to each other. As well as this, there is two flashbacks. One to when Persephone became a gorgon, and one that shows the turning point of her relationship with Kol.
> 
>  
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	2. O, Ye Of Too Much Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit: The chapter title is a spin on the biblical quote from Matthew 8:26 (ASV), "And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?"

_North of Greece - 1325_

_She rolled over, sharp rocks and twigs pressing into her flesh. Her bones were fatigued and stiff; her skin felt grimy, and dress damp and cold._

_Rubbing her temples, and pulling her hair away from her face, Persephone opened her eyes, and saw nothing but darkness. She immediately sat up; the quick motion bringing a blinding pain to her already panging head._

" _Mama, Mama, where are you?" There was no reply. She shuffled and leaned against the wall of the room, holding her head in her hands Persephone raked through her memory, squeezing her eyes shut so she could concentrate. But she could remember nothing._

_The room's frosty air bit into her skin and she hefted herself up, sliding against the wall to give herself support, never before feeling so weak, so vulnerable. Yet she knew her Mama would be back soon. This had happened before, three times, Persephone had momentarily been blinded, Mama always said it was due to stress, and would give her a lavender and herbal drink. Yes, that was probably why she wasn't there. Mama was gathering herbs._

_She couldn't see and couldn't remember what had happened the night before, but could tell she was in a shelter, in a forest. The smell of fresh snow and pine wafted up her nose as she gripped the rough surface of the wooden wall, waiting. It was probably some abandoned hut; the floor was dirt and the lumber surface beneath her hands was giving me splinters. Persephone hoped that the two of them wouldn't be squatting there for too long, normally they managed to find decent secluded places; small holiday lodges that the rich lords had left and long forgotten about. But they never got to stay anywhere for too long, the hunters would come for Mama before they could settle down._

_Hearing the sound of soft footsteps, Persephone smiled, knowing her Mama would be back. The sound of a door creaking opening in the room met her ears and she could feel a presence there nearby, but nothing was said._

_Something felt wrong._

" _ANDREAS COME LOOK QUICKLY." A foreign voice erupted around the room and a flush of fear washed over Persephone. She couldn't_ _ **see**_ _, her Mama was out, and there was a stranger in the room, she never talked to anyone other than her Mama._

_Instinctively, Persephone clutched her eyes wide shut and fell to the floor, rolling up in a ball in the corner, but it was no use. The presence roughly lifted her up by the neck and held her against the wall. She kept her lids closed and lips pinched together._

" _You, girl, did you do this?" The voice rasped into her ear as it roughly tightened its clutch around her throat._

_Snow crunching, more footsteps. "My Gods, what has happened here?" Another voice._

" _This girl, she has the blood all over her rags, but she's not saying anything and she's not opening her eyes." Blood. What blood?_

" _Blood?" Persephone managed to wheeze out, keeping her face away from the presence and flinching as far against the wall as she could, being defensive as possible in the situation._

" _Yes you foolish little girl, blood, and a matching body to go with it." The presence gripped their other hand around her jaw and forced her head around. "Did you do this?" He hissed._

_Persephone felt sharp tears fall out of my eyes. Everything was coming back to her, in flashes. The hunters, her Mama's death, her missing eyes, the curse. The hunters had killed her. Her Mama was dead. And now she had the curse. And Persephone lamented, and swore she could feel her heart crack as she weakened against the hand on her face, sobs racking though her body as she twisted away from her assailant. After this movement her head snapped to the other side as a burning sensation pierced through her skin, their hand slapping her wet cheek._

" _Answer me you fool, did you kill this woman, you crazy girl? Did you take her eyes out?" Their hand grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the wall._

_It was in that moment that she realized what she had to do, what she had to do to survive._

_Persephone opened her eyes._

_All went silent in the room; the presence let go of her hair. "Your eyes…" The voice trailed off into nothing. She heard scrambling footsteps as the secondary presence obviously left the space. Her aggressor let to go of her but she grabbed their arm before they could leave, her nails digging into soft flesh._

_Persephone lifted her hand up and could feel as their breath caught in their throat. "Girl… You don't have to…"_

_And she felt their face, the thick stubbly skin, the soft lumps and hard bumps of lips and a nose. She then found eyes, wet, glistening eyes, blinking eyes._

_So, she dragged her face close and brought her eyes to theirs and felt as they started turning, but not immediately, she could tell._

_Feet first, the stone crept up the legs, though the muscles and into the blood as they screamed in agony, arms flailing, rock into the bones and soon the organs, arms, burning, melting, stiffening._

_Persephone regained her sight in just enough time to watch as the stone coursed through his burning red face and into his brain, finally killing him. The statue before her was in the midst of a clawing at his skin, thin ripples of flesh peaked up and stuck in stone._

_She sucked his soul and energy into her core. Persephone felt numb at her first kill; she knew it was what she had to do._

_Turning to her left and looking at her Mama's corpse on the floor, she found she felt absolute nothing. And she wanted to feel something; sadness at the death of the only person she ever had, anger at her first kill. Persephone needed to feel something otherwise she feared she would become what her Mama had always tried to avoid. Lost._

_That was what she was. She was lost._

_Her Mama had always said that we always have a choice in who we want to be._

_In that moment, despite everything she had ever desired in the past, Persephone decided that she wanted to be lost for a little bit longer._

Persephone awoke to the sound of knocking against the door. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for a clock, eventually finding one that said the time was eleven o'clock. She had overslept. Sitting up and pulling the blanket up to her chin, she croaked out, "Come in." The door slowly creaked open, and she was met with the sight of the third Mikaelson sibling.

Rebekah crept into the room, dressed stunningly as usual with her straight hair flowing around her face. "Elijah told me you were here…" She began, tentative.

She hesitated awkwardly, just staring.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you." She leaned against the bedpost, folding her arms across her chest.

"I've been busy for a long time." Persephone replied, her voice muffled with sleep, feeling something skip in her chest at the thought of their last encounter.

"Never did I think I'd see the day when Persephone Demetriou came running for help." She gibed, it sounding bitterer than intended. "It's gotten that bad?" She asked, her tone now softer.

"Now that I'm the only one left, I'm weaker, or they're getting stronger, or both, and I'm all they're looking for. I can't run forever."

Rebekah smiled to herself. "Well, you'll have to try not to at least." She looked at my eyes, and Persephone felt relief pour out in her chest at the grin, because it felt as though everything was alright, well, at least it was between them. "I just can't believe that it's taken you this long to finally come back..." She whispered quietly, tensely, then shaking her head. "I know why." Rebekah said curtly. "It's just been, a long time. You've missed a lot..."

Persephone bit her lip. "I couldn't, it was too dangerous to be with people from my past, anyone, especially someone like the original hybrid Niklaus." _And especially on the off chance I might see Kol again. I couldn't do that._ But she knew that would never be a possibility ever again, so she left the words unspoken.

"Excuses, excuses." Rebekah muttered. " _Anyway_ , we need to get you up and dressed for some breakfast."

She stood by the bed and ripped the blankets off, instantly scoffing and rolling her eyes at what Persephone was wearing.

"You always were a scruffy dresser, the opposite of a Mikaelson." Soon enough she flashed away and was back just as soon, a pile of freshly folded clothes in her hands. "Here," She drawled tossing them down. "Go take a shower, with my heightened senses I can tell you need one. Then get dressed and we'll go eat." She made her way towards the door, but turned around and glanced back, standing still. "I'll be waiting." She added, and left.

Persephone was just happy that after everything that had happened, Rebekah could still manage being friendly. She scrambled into the bathroom, taking a much-needed shower. Not wanting to take too long she rapidly got dressed once finished, knowing that Rebekah wasn't always the most patient person.

She walked at of the room and up to her door, knocking hard against the wood. Rebekah opened it and grabbed Persephone's hand, running. The next second, she found them to be in a vast dining room, a buffet of pastries and cakes with tea and coffee, like what you'd get in hotels, minus the blood filled decanter.

The room still slightly shaky, Persephone glowered at the blonde. She didn't have to say anything for Rebekah to know why she was glaring daggers at her.

But she just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Well you took long enough in the shower." She then turned around and gestured around the room. It was only then that Persephone noticed four people in the room, other than Rebekah and herself. There was a smirking Klaus and tense Elijah sitting on the table, sipping at tea. The other person was a pretty but edgy looking girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes, and the fourth, a small baby lying in the arms of the girl.

Klaus stood and leaned forward, putting his hands behind his back. "Why good morning, or should I say afternoon, Persephone. I would like to introduce you to Hayley and Hope." He motioned towards the girl sitting with the baby. Klaus picked up the baby from Haley's arms and looked down at her endearingly, it was the softest look she had ever seen him give someone. "Hope is my daughter."

Persephone knew she should've been shocked at the fact a thousand year old vampire procreated, but after everything she had seen in her lifetime, she knew that there were loopholes in magic everywhere; you just had to accidentally stumble upon them to find out. "She has your eyes." She commented softly.

Ever so tenderly, Klaus handed Hope back to Hayley, who cradled the sleeping baby in her arms. And then, all was quiet, and once again the two brothers, with Rebekah included this time, looked between one another and had a silent conversation. Hayley bit her lips, noticing what was happening and seemingly understanding what Persephone did not, she stood, and smile politely towards their houseguest.

"It was nice to meet you Persephone, but Elijah and I have to go off and run some errands." Hayley smiled politely, giving the puzzled looking Elijah a side-glance and nod. " _Right_ Elijah?"

And Elijah abruptly rose from his seat. "Yes. That we do." He stated curtly, and soon enough they were both out the door, without so much as a second look or parting word, leaving Klaus, Rebekah, of whom were continuing to stare at each other, and Persephone alone.

"…Nik…?" Rebekah uttered, her jaw clenched, her nostrils flaring and her hands in tight fists by her sides.

"Well!" Klaus suddenly exclaimed, tearing his gaze away from his sister and on to Persephone, rubbing his hands together. "While you two are truly great conversationalists, I'm off to do some things of my own. Enjoy your breakfast- I mean lunch, Persephone, and I'll talk to you later."

And not much different to Hayley and Elijah, Klaus was out the door, but not without sparing Rebekah a scathing glare behind his shoulder, one that Persephone didn't understand, and didn't really want to.

"Why don't we get eating?" The blonde muttered under her breath, her lips pursed as she twisted around towards the buffet, helping herself to a muffin and glass of blood.

Persephone nodded weakly and shot Rebekah a light smile that she didn't even acknowledge. Having lost whatever semblance of an appetite she might've had, she poured herself a mug of black coffee and seated herself.

She could feel the atmosphere getting thicker with tension farther and farther into the silence, as the two of them idly sat across from one another. Persephone's mind was running wild with memories of years before and she knew Rebekah still hadn't forgotten. She might've forgiven, although unlikely, but she could tell the blonde hadn't forgotten. It was hard to push out memories of such that she had left behind when she ran. And the longer they sat together, the more the negative feelings started simmering to the surface.

Persephone looked up from the mug and found Rebekah to be staring at her. She didn't stop when they made eye contact, only sighed softly.

She was going to start it again. The talking. Rebekah trying to convince Persephone of false truths that the blonde just didn't _understand_. Rebekah didn't understand anything. So Persephone raised her eyebrows. "You're going to ask me why I left?" She prompted.

The blonde looked down, smiled, and shook her head. "I don't need to ask why. I know why. You know I know why. I just don't _understand_ why, I never will." She swallowed thickly. "I was only thinking of what could've been for us. For him. For both of you. Maybe things wouldn't be so… So fucked up now." Her voice was soft but her words hit Persephone like a punch. _Rebekah didn't understand. She knows nothing._ And she willed the impact's effect to weaken, because Persephone _knew_ that Rebekah was wrong, that she didn't know what she was talking about. But before she could say something, she was interrupted by, a voice.

"BEX WHERE ARE YOU DARLING SISTER?" A muffled voice yelled from outside.

Looking around in confusion as to where the voice came from, she glanced to Rebekah for an explanation, but all she saw was panic bright in her eyes, and the vampire flashed away before she could ask.

Persephone stirred her coffee as she strained her ears, listening to the conversation just outside the room.

"Bloody hell, you were brought back from the dead 2 months ago and yet you are still so needy. Nik said you were out on holiday to Miami, that you left when he suggested it last night. Why are you here and what the hell do you want now?" Persephone could hear Rebekah hiss out to her companion. She frowned. _Back from the dead_? She never even thought something like that was possible…

"Okay Bekah lets not make a spectacle of this. There's going to be some colorful parade in the streets here and I can't be missing that. Anyway, all I wanted to know was the Internet password; I got a new cellular phone, look at how big it is." A moment of silence happened and Persephone felt a stirring within her chest, something that was warm but also made her feel sick. She recognized the voice, but from where?

"You know what the bloody password is you were the one who made it." Rebekah seethed back, her tone almost urgent.

The other person seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Oh yes, it seems it was me, I remember now." The faint clicking of invisible keys and a sudden and deep snort of laughter from the man sounded. "'kinky_kol1000', what a splendid password. Now, I must download that app, Tinder."

Persephone stopped, inhaling a sharp breath.

It was Kol.

She hadn't seen him since… Spain.

She sprang up from her seat.

_But- but I thought he was gone, forever._

Daggered.

That's what Klaus had said, what Elijah had said, that's what they _both_ had assured her. The coffee cup toppled over and smashed against the wood of the table, the dark liquid spilling and staining the surface with each second, but she didn't care. Kol was back.

_I can't see him. Not after…_

"What was that?" Gone was Kol's cheeky demeanor and over it was his sharp and dangerous persona. Persephone backed away from the door. There was nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. From him.

"That was just my, breakfast." Rebekah fumbled her words and that was when Persephone realized why the Mikaelsons were all so tense; they knew that after what had happened a reunion between Kol and her would not go well. "Clumsy girl, won't stay still for the life of me, or lack thereof." She babbled on.

Persephone heard heavy footsteps, followed by small more skittish ones, causing both to stop at once. She was now pressed up against the wall, holding her non-existent breath.

"Kol, Kol, you know I don't like to share." Rebekah's voice came off as playful but she could hear the hidden tremor that the blonde struggled to steady within her voice. And they knew Kol would too.

"Sister, don't think that I don't know you're hiding something, and not a mortal, I know you hardly drink fresh blood, you're like the other unnatural savages who drink it sterilized out of plastic bags." Persephone heard the clicking of bones, and in her mind could see Kol cricking his neck, something he did to make himself look threatening. "Now I can either find out by force, or you can make it easy on both of us and just show me."

She heard Rebekah take a breath. Two footsteps. "After you." The blonde relented, her voice sounding defeated.

And so Persephone screwed her eyes shut, waiting for him to enter and see. But it didn't happen. Instead, she heard a deafening crack and the sound of a thump on the floor. She opened her eyes.

The doors flung open and she saw Rebekah saunter in, a wining expression on her face. "Persephone, he is going to be bloody pissed with me when he wakes up, so we need to take measures to assure that I never have to 'take one for the team' again, okay?"

Persephone nodded.

"I didn't know he was here. We need to make sure that you keep to the shadows whilst he is still here. He'll get bored, or Nik will come up with something to get rid of him. For you." Rebekah voiced the last words in a strange tone.

"I thought he was never to be un-daggered again." Persephone said, her voice hard. "That's what Klaus said."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, and Nik is _so_ well known for keeping his word to people, not for being a ruthless, selfish arsehole?" She looked down. "He got bored, it didn't take long for him to wake Kol."

Persephone shrugged and sat down. "It's not like I care anyway." She ground her teeth as she felt thoughts fill up in her head, all-screaming. "We're nothing to each other."

The blonde scoffed loudly. Looking at her, Persephone saw she was staring back, her cerulean eyes strangely watery. "You just don't understand, do you?" Swallowing, she looked down and let out a strained sound. "You just..."

"What? Rebekah?" Persephone shot back, her voice peaking, defenses shooting up. "I just what?"

"YOU JUST-"

She paused.

"You are so blind, you have no idea at all."

Frustrated, Persephone gripped her hands against the edge of the hard wood table. It was not what she was there for, a scolding, people trying to explain to her things they didn't understand. She needed help, not the pain that Rebekah was bringing back. "No Rebekah, _you_ have no idea. He left!" Persephone yelled out, her gold eyes piercing the blonde's. "He left me! He was going to go forever! I was sick, and he left me... And I don't think I can ever face him again after that, because it almost killed me." And her voice finally cracked upon the word 'killed', but she didn't look away, because Rebekah needed to know that she _had to stop_ with the fucking lies. Persephone was sick of it, right from the beginning.

Standing, Rebekah stared at her, bottom lip quivering and her eyes gleaming. "I'm going to collect my brother from the floor, whose neck I snapped, because you were too scared to see him, and put him in his bed." She turned and started towards the door.

"You have too much faith in him Rebekah..." Persephone hissed at her back, the words burning her throat. "There is no humanity inside of him. There is nothing between us, never was. The sooner you learn that, the better. For me. For you."

And she was gone.

_Gijón, Spain – 1702_

" _Persephone if you un-dagger Kol, the consequences for this family will be irreparable. You must know that." Elijah's voice was steady and reasonable. But as she watched him all she could see was the face of Kol. Persephone looked away. "He will attract the attention of our father Mikael, who you very well know will proceed to massacre my whole family. And I am not prepared to let you do that."_

_The metal handle of the dagger was cool against her palm as she clutched at it, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and impulses. She gazed at his face; grey skin, thick veins, limp limbs, eyes closed, and not in the way they were in the morning, not in the way they were when he pretended to not know she was watching him sleep, they were dead. Her heart seized. This was all her fault, her doing._

_Klaus raged forward. "IF YOU TRY TO TAKE THAT OUT I WILL RIP YOUR ARM OFF BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN THINK TO SCREAM!" Persephone glanced at him as purple veins around his eyes pulsated, fangs poked out from his lips and his body went into attack mode._

_Her heart. It ached. It burned. It stung. It tore itself in two at the thought of being without him. She couldn't be alone again. He was the only person she cared about, and the only person who cared about her. He would've done anything for her, and in turn, Persephone would've done anything for him. She was so sick, sicker than she had ever been before, and he made it better. She felt better; he needed to know that he fixed her. She trusted him to fix her, and he trusted her to fix him. 'If you don't take the dagger out, you will have broken his trust, and in the process, both of your hearts'._

_Persephone swallowed thickly, the wreckage around them; the burning inn, the bloody bodies, the smashed objects. His brothers near her; a screaming but pleading voice, reasonable words. They all clung onto one side of her, the rational side, begging her to think logically. 'If you pull out the dagger, Kol will be his own and his family's undoing, you know that, he has finally snapped, despite his intentions he went too far this time, and can't come back'._

" _But I love him." Persephone whispered to myself._

" _Oh, you think you're special?" She slowly looked up towards the source of the question. Klaus. "You love him?"_

_She nodded slowly. "We love each other."_

_His harsh laugh was like a lash to her core. "You think he loves you darling?" A smirk slithered onto his face. He slowly ambled towards Persephone. "Well, let me tell you a little secret about 'our' Kol." He crouched down beside her and placed his hand to her cheek. "Kol doesn't love you sweetheart. He's incapable of it. I know for a fact that his bloodthirsty rampage was just so he could fulfil his appetite, then I'm sure he was about to run off, and leave you in the lurch, as he has done to many, many other women." And she whipped her head away from his touch and slapped his face._

" _You have no idea." She shot back, her voice sharp._

_He lifted his other hand to rub his cheek where she hit. "Oh but darling, I do. See, Kol is my little brother, and I have known him for a lot longer than you have. And do you know how many girls he has been with?"_

_He blinked at her. Persephone said nothing._

_"Okay, well do you know how many girls have fallen in love with him?"_

_She clenched her jaw._

_"One hundred per cent of the answer to the first question."_

_He smiled at her meanly._

_"And do you know how long those lasted?"_

_Narrowing his eyes, he leaned in closer to the girl who still sat, saddling his little brother._

_"Well, you see, it varies, sometimes a few days, sometimes a few weeks, months, even years, depending how he feels. Newsflash darling, you aren't even his longest plaything. You aren't even in the top ten."_

" _Lies." Persephone breathed, looking away._

" _Kimberly Worthington, Carmen Garcia, Nala Sofidia, Jacqueline Guerin, Sara Fahim. Some to name a few." Klaus whispered into her ear the names of Kol's loves as she clenched her eyes shut, trying to block him out, and failing. The dagger in her hand was slipping. "And they were the only ones I happened to meet."_

" _No, no, no. I don't believe you. They aren't real." She murmured under her breath, but he carried on._

" _You don't think they are real because Kol has never mentioned them to you. Don't you think that is strange? He never mentioned any of the great loves he gathered in his seven hundred year existence? Have you told him of the people you love?"_

_Persephone stopped._

" _I'm sure you have, but isn't it strange he never mentioned any of the people he loved?"_

_She met Klaus' eyes._

" _It's because they don't exist. Kol doesn't love. Kol plays, he pretends to love, he 'shares' things with women, makes himself seem broken so they can fix him. Let me guess, he told you the 'my family hates me' story?"_

_She took a shuddering breath._

" _That's his play. It's all a game to him darling. It may seem real, but it's not, he's incapable of love. People love him, but he doesn't, and the sooner you learn that darling, the sooner you can prepare for when he gets bored of you and drops you like a dead body."_

_Her heart screamed._

" _You seem to love him with a passion, an all-consuming, rippling, aching fire that is engulfing you. That is scorching your skin and burning it's way to your core. I have known that kind of love." He said softly._

_Persephone blinked back tears. "Then why are you saying this? These lies about Kol, you know what its like…"_

_He blew air out of his nostrils and smiled. "Love is pure. And naïve. And fragile. All the things a mortal is. And all the things I lost when I turned. Therefore losing my ability to love." He squinted his eyes. "Aren't you a vampire? You don't seem to be scared of me at all…"_

" _I'm not a vampire!" She hissed back, sweat painting her brow. The heat of the fire was suffocating. "I have a soul. Every being has a soul, whether they are living or undead. And having a soul means having the ability to love."_

" _Look down, love." Klaus murmured quietly. Swallowing, Persephone turned her eyes to Kol's withered form beneath her. "Does that look like it has a soul?"_

_She was crying. She didn't notice it until Elijah stopped Klaus' talking. "That's enough Niklaus." Persephone fell back, her fingers slipping from the dagger and onto her heart._

_She watched as Klaus stood up triumphantly and grabbed Kol's arms. He looked at her with pity. "I'm sure that this heartbreak is nothing you haven't been through before. Maybe take the advice of a fellow undead being, let go of your will to love and life will be so much lighter." Klaus said simply, and walked off, dragging Kol's body away and out of sight._

_Persephone heard the building lurch under the flames. Elijah walked towards her crumpled form upon the brick floor. "Persephone, there is nothing I can do to amend what has just happened. I know your story, Kol wrote to me for help once, unfortunately I couldn't be of assistance, but I know what happens to people of your kind. You are hunted down, just as my siblings and I are by my father." He paused. "Klaus, Rebekah and I, with Kol and our other brother Finn, are leaving to the New World, a world without our demons, and a world where we can be new again." He held out his hand. "Come with us, and there will be nothing there to hurt you."_

' _Except for myself and the memory of what I felt for Kol', Persephone thought to myself, as she took Elijah's hand and followed him to the New World._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review if you can! Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job. I intend to have consistent updates with at least one chapter a week. Thank you for reading. X
> 
> Next Chapter - This is focused more on the background of Persephone and allows you to see more into her past relationships and other issues, thus developing her character more. As well as this, she speaks with Elijah, and this establishes their relationship further.
> 
>  [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	3. The Past Beats Inside Like A Second Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit: The chapter title is taken from the quote said by John Banville, 'The past beats inside me like a second heart."

_Bordeaux, France - 1463_

_"Don't open your mouth and I'll be quick about it." The satin veil covering Persephone's face muffled her voice, but the knife she held against the woman's soft stomach sent a clear enough message to her to halt. Persephone lifted her hand to the woman's jaw and roughly turned her resisting head to face her. "Listen to me, it'll be easier for both of us if you just stay still and look at me, it won't take as long if you just let it through." Persephone sighed onto her face tiredly, her compulsive aura immediately making the woman do so._

_She needed her; she craved the human's energy and soul._

_Persephone smiled and tucked the knife into the back of her ragged gown. She looked around the corridor, able to hear the sounds of buzzing voices, market men shouting at thieving hooligans, and women giggling with their friends and companions. No one was near. If she was quick she could get out fast enough with a profit in both manners. The victim looked to be a rich girl, it was a wonder what she was doing out on the street alone but Persephone jumped at the sight of her, she had never gotten to someone like her, and could gain a lot._

_Before lifting the veil, she patted her down, Persephone's fingers twitching from the adrenaline, unclipping and unlatching ornate necklaces, jewel crusted rings, silver and white golden slinky bracelets, pearl earrings, and a velvet sack of gold coins. The woman had stayed still, the compulsion was stronger on some people than others and she was obviously one of the weak people Persephone could get to. She lifted her veil and looked into the mortal's eyes. She turned to stone faster than anyone else from the past, probably because she had already died by the time it was halfway through her; she was one of the luckier ones. Persephone absorbed her power, energy and soul._

_She didn't even bother to look at her stone statue body before she grabbed a loose piece of cobblestone from the ground, and with all her strength smashed it against the figure, turning it into millions of what looked like loose shards of rock from crumbling buildings. They would never find her._

_Persephone stuffed her belongings into her giant pockets, brought the veil over her eyes and started walking away calmly to the gold part of the market. She got through the crowds without any sign of danger; her hands in her pockets, clutching at the newfound things to be sure no one stole them._

_She finally found the right store and took a turn to go inside._

_"I see you're back so soon, another 'lost bag' you found on the streets, huh Persephone?" Coralie asked, her cynical and suspicious humor creeping into her voice._

_Persephone rushed over to her table and poured the contents of the pockets on the table, stepping back, she looked down at her hands shyly. "Yeah, something like that." She muttered._

_Coralie gasped at what was had been brought before her. Persephone eyed her through her veil and watched as her aged hands delicately lifted up one of the necklaces, a heavy emerald pendant hung down and she gently stroked her fingers over it, causing light to hit it and making green grass patterns on the ceiling that danced around. She dragged her fingers through the pile one the table, and looked at the girl across her incredulously._

_"Do you know how much they are worth?" Persephone asked, crossing her arms over her chest impatiently._

_The witch's head whipped up at her and Persephone looked at the unreadable expression on her face. Coralie stepped from around her table. "Whenever you've come in, with hundreds of francs worth of jewellery and luxuries of the sort, I have not questioned you. But this? Persephone, I've known you for a while now, I've come care about you, and I'm worried that you are going around the wrong way getting these things." She said softly as she wrenched Persephone's hands away from around herself and held them._

_"You don't need to worry about me."_

_"I don't need to, but that won't stop me. I can help you, I know some very powerful witches that could try and help you with the curse, I know that somehow we can get rid of it, or at lest we can cover the eyes up so they won't damage anyone anymore." She countered, squeezing her hands._

_But Persephone yanked my hands away from Coralie. "I like the way I am, I don't want to get rid of the curse. I like my ability. I like being alone." She looked at the witch as coldly as she could through the satin veil._

_Coralie was about to reply when a peasant man came through the front door. "Coralie, I have news about your daughter Anaïs."_

_Coralie didn't bother looking behind her. "Look into it and tell me later, I'm busy right now." She flung her hand backwards and the door slammed in the man's face on command. She stepped forward cautiously. "Persephone, I know that deep down, you just need someone there for you, you can live a normal life if you just let me help you, and protect you." Her deep gray eyes searched through the blurry fabric for Persephone's._

_Her words brought back deep-hidden memories to Persephone of her Mama, grabbing her non-beating heart and twisting, clutching, ripping at it. She ground her teeth and clenched her jaw. Slowly, she walked up to the witch. "Coralie, I don't think you understand, I don't want to be cured. I like how I am now; I like how I'm living. I have no burdens of love, I am weightless. I can do what I want, I don't need you, and I don't want you. You have other things to worry about, like your daughter Anaïs."_

_"Anaïs? She's a rebellious girl who thought that running away from home and joining an expressionist coven would be fun and adventurous, turns out it's not all it turned out to be for her. She's paying the consequences of her stupid and selfish actions. You, Persephone. You don't deserve the burden of the curse, I've seen your story, I know it. You deserve love, and you deserve someone who worries about you. I worried about you because I care. You just need to let me help you, I can help you, and I'm not going to abandon you."_

_Persephone inched towards her, anger, resentment, irritation, and impatience coursing through her veins. She didn't need her, she didn't want her. Coralie just needed to leave her alone and let her do what she wanted. She should've never have come to the witch for exchanging. "Coralie, you have no idea. You hardly know my story, only bits and pieces you have had 'visions' of when you've searched my mind, without my permission. I didn't come here for you; I never came here for you. I came here because; you gave me the best prices on the things I found. That's all." Persephone grabbed the thick pile of jewellery, bunched in her hands and dangling. "Are you going to pay for these, or do I go to someone else?"_

_Coralie lightly rested her hands over Persephone's. "Persephone, you need to let me in, I can help you. Just calm down."_

_And so,_ _Persephone threw the jewelry against the wall and watched as the vibrant, glittering stones crushed into hundreds of pieces, ricocheting on the floor, and gathering around our feet. She looked at the witch wildly and grabbed her shoulders, speaking with a dangerously low voice. "Coralie, do you want me to lift my veil? "_

_The look in her eyes was one that would be thought of as pure fear and terror; Persephone had seen it millions of times before, just not in eyes that she knew so well. But she was numb, so it didn't matter. Coralie's wavering breath flittered against the fabric on her face. "Persephone, I'm not scared of you, you don't scare me, you don't have to, I just want to he-"_

_Persephone pushed her to the floor, her mind and thought decision processes blind with rage, and a newfound sense of pain at the thought of someone caring, no one cared, they didn't. She watched as her old form fell and crippled against the stones, her bones cracking and the wind out of her lungs. She coughed and spluttered blood. She stood over the witch and lifted the barrier between her eyes and Coralie's, turning her to stone, slowly. The old woman didn't scream, and it almost disturbed Persephone._

_"Tell Anaïs I love her." She croaked, before it crept up to her brain and finally killed her._

_Persephone felt as her soul and magic and strength left her body and absorbed it into her own. She had never killed a witch before. She had never felt such power and magic and strength at her fingertips, fizzling, waiting to be absorbed._

_It was euphoric._

_That was when she realized every time she killed a witch she could suck up their magic and use it. Killing a witch was the most power she could ever get._

_Persephone looked at Coralie's body, she was crumpled up on the floor but she didn't look scared like the others did, she looked sad. Just sad._

_Whipping her hand into a sharp circle, Coralie's body smashed into a thousand pieces, her body bits mixing with the crumbs of the precious stones from the jewellery she had broken._

_She looted the store of all the golden francs, and left before the man came back. The hunters would know she was there in no time, and she had to leave. She didn't know where to though, somewhere with witches. Lots of them._

Rebekah and Persephone spent the next five days pouring over all the encyclopedic magic books within New Orleans, trying to find out more about the hunters. Even though they have been chasing her for over 700 years, Persephone barely knew anything about them, she had never seen them, only felt them, heard them, sensed them. She only knew that they wanted to kill her. They had already done it to hundreds of other gorgons just like her.

Tensions had already been high between the two after the dining room incident, and they had hardly spoken but a few words to each other, it was hard for them to look each other in the eye. She could tell Rebekah was starting to get frustrated and the blonde teetered off the edge when they went through the last book, storming out of the room and away. Persephone was left alone, sitting in a centuries old library; the floor covered in leather bound books of old parchment and faded ink.

She knew that it would be hard to find out anything about the hunters little secret society; it was all she had been thinking about, talking about, dreaming about in those past few days. It was her life, all this time running away from these people who she thought she knew so well, all their tactics and tricks, but that was only helpful when she was running from them. That kind of knowledge was useless when Persephone wanted to destroy them herself.

She had stayed in the library, however. Persephone… enjoyed solitude, suffice to say; enjoyed could be too strong of a word, it was more like some sort of Stockholm syndrome, she had been with loneliness for such longs periods of time that sometimes she welcomed it back, like an old friend, someone she had lost touch with but reminded her of when she had been happy. Except she wasn't ever happy when she was alone, which was the Stockholm part of it.

In periods of isolation Persephone would flicker through old memories, and when she thought back to periods when she was a bad person, because that she once was, she would then just drink, or get high, depending on the century and what was more available. Then when she finished thinking and sobered up, she would remember how alone she was, and fall back into the vicious circle.

People who she had briefly met, in bars, pubs, opium dens, and others places she ended up in after a series of bad decisions, always seemed to take it upon them selves to tell her she had an additive depressing personality and that she probably needed help. But she never paid much mind to them when the bottle or the line or the joint in front of her was so comforting, so familiar, just beckoning her to go over, _One smoke, one sniff, one sip, and all will be better._

But one smoke normally turned into two, one sniff into three, and one bottle into however many it took to cause her to pass out.

But last week, that was the last straw, it was her life and the lives of all other conscious super naturals around her that were on the line. Persephone was dying. She had never felt so close then. One breath too loud, drop of blood too many, and they would've found her. After that, she knew she couldn't afford just one line, or sip, or smoke. Because they would be the death of her.

And Elijah, she knew he knew the minute he saw her it was the last straw. Persephone had spent months with him and Rebekah and Klaus, and Kol, on a boat and he was the one who had learned to read her the best. During the weeks she laid motionless on her bed staring blankly ahead, to the days she was found with tears streaming down her face but silent on the deck, he always knew what her thoughts were. And last week, outside he knew it was time.

Persephone reached around, grabbing for the bottle of whiskey she had placed under the couch, hidden for when she would be alone once again, because she knew it would happen soon or later. And so, she twisted the cap off and took one long sip.

"Is that from Niklaus' supply? Because he gets very possessive of his alcohol, you might want to be discreet."

She startled at the sudden voice, and turned to find Elijah walking in through the doorway, looking at her with his eyebrows raised. Then, she smirked at the comment. "I know perfectly well how Klaus gets with things that are his." She pointedly took another mouthful of the bottle.

The corner of Elijah's mouth tipped upwards slightly, it wasn't a smile, but it was something. He sat on the armchair across from her, and gazed into the flames. "I infer you haven't made any progress, as I just observed Rebekah storm out from the room moments ago."

Shaking her head, Persephone swallowed thickly. "I doubt we'll make any progress just sitting here reading books. It's not like it's anything I haven't done before."

He folded his hands in his lap, and looked to her. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"More."

Elijah let out a small laugh, his eyes crinkling and amused. "I am aware that Niklaus and I haven't been doing enough to help the effort, but we have been trying to tie up loose ends in another cause."

Persephone couldn't help but let out a scoff. Turning her head to him, she smiled ruefully. "Well I'm sorry that there is a matter you deem more important than the continuation of your own lives. Please, don't let me stop you." She slurred out, the whiskey already drifting to her head. It must've been strong, or maybe she was just a lightweight.

The expression on his face turned from one of entertainment to complete seriousness. He stood, and walked over to the mantle piece, pouring himself some blood out of a decanter. "We have been inattentive to the problem. For-"

"-Yeah." She interrupted, in the middle of her thoughts. "Like, who thought it would be a good idea to dump me in this room with a bunch of random old novels to read and find 'answers' in. It's not a very creative way of finding out information. Or effective."

"…Well, we thought that because we, the Mikaelsons, are the most powerful supernatural family on Earth, that we of all people would have the kind of texts that would contain the necessary information." He mused; taking a large sip that finished the contents of his glass, and setting it down, sighing deeply.

"That you do." Persephone agreed, finished the contents of the bottle. "But unfortunately, they don't contain information about a curse that has origins probably from before 490 BC, more or less. So we should probably think about it on a more practical level."

Elijah crossed his arms, and stared at the fire, a frown on his lips. "I agree." He stopped. She could tell by the look in his eyes he was deep in thought. "I have sources that I think I could speak to, however that would require me leaving for a while."

"Do what ever it takes."

He glanced at her, an uneasy look in his eyes. "What of Kol?"

Persephone's stomach propelled up to her throat, and she choked on the air. "He needs… to go." She managed to hiss out, tears pricking her eyes, bile rising.

Elijah nodded curtly. "I should be able to manage that, he has never liked staying in one place for too long. Or at the very least, I could have him take up residence elsewhere in New Orleans. You just mustn't leave the compound, but you already know that."

Even though her mind was numb to the whiskey, her heart wasn't. Alcohol was never strong enough for that kind of pain.

But her heart didn't matter any more.

It hadn't mattered for a long time. Because ever since Persephone fell for him, ever since she let him climb his way into the core of her heart, and ever since he had torn it open from the inside out. Her heart had stopped working.

But it was like a phantom limb. She still sometimes felt it hurt.

At the beginning, any mention of his name used to cause a sharp sting to the muscle of her heart, like someone was threading a long piece of steel string through her.

After a few decades, it stopped being a sudden sharp stinging, but instead a prolonged, dull, throbbing. Something that radiated out from her heart, to her fingertips. It used to keep her immobile for days; she was in so much agony that she could barely do anything, she couldn't even sleep. However, soon enough Persephone remembered the only thing he left her with other than being completely unfixable, a taste for opium. And soon enough, other drugs, drugs that made the pain go away. Drugs that made everything go away.

She no longer remembered what it was like to feel anything other than pain, or absolutely nothing. The heart was meant to be broken, and as a result, so was she.

"I'll give you some time alone."

Looking at Elijah, Persephone let out a half-hearted laugh. "Sure, whatever. I've spent the last three centuries alone, what's another day?"

Slowly, Elijah lifted his eyes to hers, the brown iris' grave, lines of distress carved upon his forehead, his jaw clenched tightly. "Rebekah seems to have this obsessive idea that Kol always loved you." He paused, stepping closer, looking down on her. "Niklaus thinks Kol doesn't even have the ability to love. That leaves me, stuck in the middle."

He stopped. Persephone waited expectantly to have another opinion shoved upon her about her past.

Elijah turned, and walked out of the room, without another word.

The stale air burnt through her nose and she flopped back down against the carpet, a warm heat licking her side from the wood fuelled fire crackling beside her.

Elijah didn't want a part of it. Persephone respected that. More than he could've ever known.

_Kent, England - 1536_

_Twigs, dead leaves and gravel crunched under her boots as she staked out the witch meeting. Persephone hid behind a towering pine tree as she strained her ears for their faint voices. She turned the knife around in her hand, looking over the faces, picking her next target._

_The witches stood in a large circle surrounding a roaring ring of fire, and she could even feel the heat radiating off it. Their linked hands indicated that they were doing some spell, but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that they were the highest-ranking family of the Gemini coven, therefore some of the most powerful witches in the country, and maybe even world._

_Persephone needed their power._

_She finally decided upon one person, a lanky girl who would surely be the easiest to overpower, next time Persephone could go bigger, but she needed to start small, she knew that they would all put up a good fight against her, but it was worth it, worth it for their power._

_Persephone viewed on as they broke up, letting go of each other's hands and killing the fire, they separated, however her target stayed behind with another two males, yet they soon went off together leaving her alone. It was now her chance to strike._

_Slinking around the trees with her light footsteps barely making a sound as she neared the witch, Persephone could feel her century bloodline magic flying around in wisps of gold. The girl daintily made her way to a log nearby, seating herself down._

_Sneaking up behind her, Persephone drew her knife, holding it to the girls soft throat and smothering her mouth with her other hand, she pulled the witch back up flush against her and felt her mouth suck at her hand for air, her hands struggling against the knife as she kicked her legs and squealed._

_Dragging her over to a tree Persephone pinned the girl against it, her forearm against the soft of her throat and the knife pricking her neck. The girl gripped her arm, her face swollen and wet with tears._

_"You don't want to do this, you don't know who I am, you don't know of my power." She breathed shakily, her nails digging deep._

_Persephone smirked and watched as she searched the veil, looking for her face, for anything. "Oh, I do know of your power, that's why I'm doing this."_

_Fire blazed in the girls eyes. "You coward, at least show your face you spineless filth." She spat out, her fearfulness obviously subsiding and her stupidity setting in. Her magic vibrated, and Persephone couldn't wait to have it as her own._

_So she removed the knife from her throat and went to lift the satin fabric covering her face. "If you say so-"_

_Going to lift the veil the witch suddenly grabbed Persephone's head, causing blinding pain to ripple through her, pushing her down onto the ground, crumpled up as aneurysm after aneurysm hit her in a matter of seconds. The girl ripped herself free and whispered, "Motus", flinging her attacker back against a tree. Persephone's body slammed against the wood as all the blood vessels in her body burst and healed, burst and healed repeatedly._

_Screaming, her voice echoing throughout the forest, being carried in the wind and ruffling leaves, scaring birds. However as Persephone was crushing her head with her hands in the dirt, the pain stopped, only to be replaced with the dull ache of her splintered bones, however anything was better than the former pain._

_"Uh, Samuel, why did you stop me? This girl was trying to kill me, she had a knife." An annoyed voice, the girl's, was fuzzy in Persephone's head as she laid, pathetic on the floor._

_"Willow, you and I both know that you can't just go around killing people. The supernatural like us have been kindly sheltered and protected by some kind, selfless humans who protect us from hunters, do you know how bad an aneurysm caused death could've looked for us?" A male voice replied calmly, Persephone felt relief and gratefulness for the man, Samuel, who had stopped her from dying a millions deaths._

_"I don't care, she tried to kill me! She deserves to suffer the consequences. And she will." Willow replied, and Persephone felt another wave of skull splitting pain pierce through her. She screamed and crammed her head between her hands, attempting in vain to lessen the pain._

_The agony once again stopped as sudden as it started, and she was left on the ground once again, hazy and delirious after the pain she had suffered._

_"Willow, listen to me, you will not do that again, you will not try to harm Isaac, the girl or me in this moment. Stop it now." Persephone heard the first male voice, Samuel, say._

_"Okay."_

_Through her confused state Persephone wondered about this man, he had gotten this Willow to agree to stop trying to kill her easily when the moment before she was hell bent on her execution. Was he a vampire? No, vampires couldn't compel witches._

_"Are you okay?" She heard an amiable voice and looked up, a man with worried muggy green eyes and thick dark hair was knelt down beside her, his hand on her shoulder. His concern for her was confusing and overwhelming, and Persephone just laid there staring at him. She had just tried to kill his companion, and he was concerned for her. "Here, let me take this thing off your face-"_

_He bent down and started lifting the fabric off her face, but before he could reveal her eyes, she slapped his hand away. A sense of morality burst through her, he and the other man had just saved her from their crazy friend, despite what she had tried to do to said friend. Persephone may've been a power thirsty killer but she had a small sense of virtue in that moment. She crawled backwards and towards a tree away from him as he gave her a searching look. Leaning against the trunk, she channelled all her strength into lifting herself up._

_"Samuel, Willow, come over here." He murmured, never taking his eyes off Persephone as she struggled, he stood and slowly walked up to her. He flicked his hand and she shot up, now standing_ _on her feet but rooted in her spot. She looked around and saw as Willow walked over to her, a bored expression on her face, and Samuel, a tall man, extremely pale with pure white hair and bright yellow eyes. Something about him felt familiar but Persephone couldn't tell as she felt panic burst through her. What were they doing?_

_If he had saved her why couldn't he just let her go?_

_Maybe they were planning on doing something worse._

_The three of them stood before Persephone, peering at her. "What Isaac, can't we just leave the bitch, at least let me do that to get back at her." Willow complained, her voice and face passive. Samuel elbowed her and gave her a look, making her immediately shut up._

_"Yes, Isaac, what is it you want?" He looked at the man who Persephone now knew to be called Isaac._

_"Samuel, lift the veil off her face." Isaac uttered, his voice suddenly dark but his smile wide and polite._

_Trying to say something, Persephone felt her voice catch in her throat, and she realized that the spell Isaac had cast on her had frozen her completely. She couldn't move, she couldn't talk, and she couldn't close her eyes. Only able to just watch as the scene unfolded before her, Samuel, rolling his eyes and walking up to her, oblivious to the fact that he was about to go through an agonizing death because of the fact that he had saved her._

_She felt a burst of fresh air wash over her face as the shroud was lifted away. Persephone braced herself to watch as Samuel died by stone, but nothing happened. Instead, his face immediately changed into shock, bewilderment, and speechlessness, the minute his eyes met her own._

_The exact emotions that she was feeling._

_Persephone watched as he lifted out his hand and reached for her face; wonder sparked his touch as she stared at him, captivated._

_Why was his not turning to stone? The black pupils in his yellow eyes dilated, lapping up the gold in his irises as he delicately padded his fingers around her black hole eyes in astonishment._

_"So is she like you? Can you confirm it?" Isaac asked, snapping Persephone out of her trance._

_She watched as Samuel gave her one last search, and turned around. "Release your spell on her."_ _He simply commanded._

_Isaac immediately flicked his hand and her muscles relaxed in her body, face and eyes. Persephone put all her weight against the tree. "Whyareyounotdead?" She spluttered out, needing to know what the fuck was going on._

_Samuel turned around and smiled. "Because, I'm a gorgon like you." His grin widened every farther as he held his hand out. "Samuel Fitzgerald, I'm two hundred and forty three years old." Persephone's eyes darted around as her mind was flushed with this news. Willow and Isaac linked arms and walked off and away, having some sort of conversation._

_"But, but… How?" She ignored his hand and hugged herself. This was too much, it was too much. He couldn't be, she had never met another of her kind. He wasn't like her, he didn't have her eyes, he didn't kill the others, Isaac and Willow, and his eyes were yellow, not black like hers._

_He glanced down and laughed, joy spread out and over his face as his bright eyes looked to her. "How I don't kill beings? How my eyes are yellow? Well, it's because the people in the Gemini coven, who I predict you know of, enchanted my eyes with a very powerful spell, to cloak them so they couldn't kill people, so they couldn't turn people to stone, unless I say the words 'demiourgo pyr en lithos'." He blurted out excitedly, but his hand came to comfortingly touch her shoulder._

_She shook her head, trying to make sense of and absorb all the new information, and as he did, let out a laugh, bemused. "Persephone Demetriou, two hundred and thirty years old."_

_Persephone leaned against the tree and rubbed her temple. It was not how she had thought the night would end, and she was feeling weak. He stood beside her, still staring. When she met his eyes he turned away sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just I've never met another of my kind before, so this is surreal."_

_"Yeah, well I haven't either." Persephone responded tiredly. She stopped. "How do you live?"_

_He looked down to her confused. "I'm not sure I know what you mean?"_

_"I mean, how do you just live, without turning people to stone and, absorbing them. Because your eyes are shielded you can't really do that, it must be hard to live, you must be weak, because you never get the energy from others." She elaborated, quietly._

_His confusion farther deepened on his face. "Persephone, you know, gorgons don't need to survive by turning people to stone. We can live without it. We don't need other people's energy and souls to survive like vampires need blood, we don't have that kind of life dependence on it. It's just, once you do start doing that, it's hard to stop, like an addiction, on absorbing human's energies for magic feels like it's to survive. You don't need it, but it makes you feel so powerful that once you start…." He trailed off and paused. "Is that what you've been doing?"_

_Persephone sniffed and turned away, starting to walk. But before she could get far, Samuel grabbed her shoulder roughly and spun her around, gripping her forearm so she couldn't walk. "Just, let me go, come on, I talked, now let me go…"_

_"No, Persephone, I have never found anyone of my kind before, now I've met you I'm not going to let you just walk off and be reckless with your killing, you don't need to do it. I can help you; you can shield your eyes, like I have. Willow and Isaac, they have been the kindest to me, they can do it for you. We can help you, just stay with us and let us." Persephone looked at him, her eyes thoughtful and mind calculating._

_"Yes, Persephone, my sister and I will help you, nothing would bring us greater pleasure." She looked and saw Isaac and Willow, both who flinched away from her eyes, that weren't covered._

_"We can fix that, you know. Samuel was right, Isaac and I are some of the strongest witches in our coven, and if we could shield Samuel's eyes, then we can most certainly do the same for you." Willows soft voice met Persephone's ears, and with her head still turned away, the witch held out a hand towards her. "Listen, I know you tried to kill me, but why don't we let bygones be bygones and we can stick together, we can help you, we can protect you Persephone."_

_"You know, we are looking for a way to break the curse, so we won't have to live like this any more, Persephone, come with us, please, we can be rid of this curse finally, we can live normal lives, come with us and let us help you." Samuel chimed in._

_"Just let us, and we swear, you won't regret it." Isaac added in._

_Persephone needed to make the leap of faith, because for some reason, she trusted Samuel already. Maybe because he was like her, or maybe because she was stupid. Taking a deep breath into her functionless lungs, she took Willow's hand, shaking it. "Okay then, help me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is later than I intended it to be, but I will hopefully post the next chapter within a few days to make up for lost time! Please review if you can, I always really appreciate it, even if it's only a word. Anything at all is good. Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you for reading. X
> 
> Next Chapter - You learn about how Persephone and Kol met, and what event really brought them together. As well as this, you discover the circumstances to her and Klaus' relationship, what happened between them, and what this has caused, or has the potential to cause.
> 
>  [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	4. Broken Necks Beat Broken Hearts

_Gijón, Spain - 1698_

_Persephone downed her drink and signaled for another one, the burn of the last shot still trailing down her chest. The sound of talking, singing, and whoring was heavy in the air but she blocked it all out, just waiting to get drunk and numb and float away with her thoughts. It being her last night in Spain before she left for the Alps, she wanted to enjoy the sense of 'community' the bar gave her, and she was feeling reckless._

" _I noticed you from across the bar and I couldn't take my eyes off you, have we met before darling?" A sultry sounding voice whispered to her suddenly, his lips grazing her ear._

_But instead of melting at his 'compliment', Persephone turned around fully showing her annoyance on her face. She was met with the sight of a tall, dark man towering over her, smirking, waiting for her to fall at his feet. But no, she was in no mood to be harassed by anyone. "I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out." She replied coolly, turning back to her drink; that would get him to leave, not many men liked rude women._

_But he obviously didn't mind, or he just didn't care. "I'm Kol, Kol Mikaelson." He leaned forward and grinned charmingly, his face getting too close for comfort._

_She looked at him, a bored expression painting her features. "I'm not a prostitute, they are over there, by the stairs." Persephone sipped her drink, and pointedly twisted away, blocking him out completely._

_Kol tipped his head back and laughed, not the way she expected him to react. She turned back around, confused. "Why darling, would you ever get the impression that I need to pay for female company? Look at me, tell me how handsome I am." He smiled smugly and leaned back._

_It was her turn to laugh. "Oh yes, well if a man who is handsome is cocky, arrogant, irritant, and rude, then yes, you are probably the most handsome person in the room." She looked across at him, challenging. He said nothing but stared at Persephone with an indecipherable expression on his face. "Now please, leave me alone and go bother someone else." She once again, turned away, this time in pure triumph that she would be left alone with her alcohol._

" _And why would I do that?" Kol spoke up once again, his words hushed against her ear. "I like pretty little things with sharp tongues." His hand snaked around her waist. "Now, why don't we go somewhere a little more quiet, I have a place in the back?"_

_Persephone jumped out of her seat at his uninvited touched and rushed through the dense crowd, needing to get away from him. He wasn't going to stop and she could see it going in a bad direction. She heaved open the heavy door, a rush of fresh air washing upon her face as she stepped out into the cobbled street. But before she could take another step forward, Kol was right in front of her, appearing out of nowhere._

" _Don't you know it's rude to leave without saying goodbye?" He stepped forward and she started backing away; he had appeared right before her out of thin air, and that could only mean one thing. He was a vampire. "Flighty little thing aren't you."_

" _I know that you're a vampire, and I know that your worst intention is to drink from me, but I'm going to tell you first hand that that will be a big mistake." She started, trying the appeal to his reasonable side._

" _Relax darling, I don't intend to feed on you- **well** , I don't anymore. I just found you... intriguing. And obviously my instincts were quite right. You know about the supernatural." He mused, backing her up against the wall of the tavern, if she ran he would most likely try to kill her. And she most certainly didn't have enough strength to compel him to go away. "So, we've established that I'm a vampire, but what are you?"_

_She said nothing._

" _I can tell you're not a human, witch, werewolf, any kind of mortal being, or a vampire, because I can't hear you heart beat. And that seems to cross out all the viable options." Persephone's back was met with the rough stone of the wall and his arms immediately encased and trapped her. He stared down at her. "You know, you have the most mystical eyes, that can't be natural. They are like gold."_

" _You don't scare me." She murmured._

_He tipped his head down so their ears touched. "I'm sorry darling, I didn't quite get that." His teeth grazed her neck and she could feel a phantom heart thumping in her chest._

" _You don't scare me." Persephone repeated, this time more forcefully. She placed her hands on his chest and with all her might tried to force him off her, but it was like trying to push a house down, there was no use._

_Leaning back, he smirked. "Not very strong, are you darling? That was like prodding a bear with a stick… No use but to aggravate." He uttered, his face immediately darkening._

_The last thing Persephone heard was a loud snap. And then everything went black._

She sat up, the hot room closing in on her, the flames blazed in the fire place creating dancing patterns across the carpet and she was covered in sweat; Persephone needed fresh air.

Making her way to the courtyard, she could feel herself calm at the sight of the bare night sky. She fell down into a plush seat. Thinking back to memories always got her into a dreaming state; she could loose hours getting lost in the past.

"Well someone looks tired. Can I get you a drink sweetheart?" It was Klaus. She continued staring at the night sky, using her silence to show her need for solitude at that moment. However, Klaus was never really one to care about the needs for others, particularly hers. "So, what have you been up to over the past few centuries?" Klaus chirped, Persephone noticed he was obviously in one of his better moods as he sat down next to her.

Lifting her head to look at him, she rolled her eyes at the mischievous glimmer in his. "What do you want Klaus?" She questioned, bored.

He mocked offense at this. "Why do people always assume I want something? Can't I just exchange pleasant conversation with an old friend?"

Persephone snorted at this. "'Old friend'? After everything?"

But he pursed his lips. "Oh yeah? What do you suggest we are, sweetheart?" He emptied his drink and daintily placed it on the table beside him, leaning back and stretching his arms far along the back of the lounge.

She thought of this for a moment. "Known acquaintances."

Klaus gave her a knowing look. "I think we're long past 'known' acquaintances darling." He then leaned his head further to the side. "Unless you've forgotten…"

_North Atlantic Ocean, 1703_

" _You ruined my fucking life, you know that right?" Persephone asked him, her words slow and garbled, and she took another chug out of the bottle. It was the first time she had spoken to him since that day. She had gotten drunk quite regularly, but by herself. But then, she felt the need to tell him, to his face. To tell him how much he fucked up her life. So she stumbled over to his room, as drunk as the night was dark, and told him._

" _Darling, darling, no. I didn't 'ruin' your life." Klaus wasn't nearly as drunk as her, but his words were still slightly slurred. "I just showed you the truth."_

_She hiccupped. "What if I didn't want to know the truth? What if I just wanted to believe that he had died, or something? Or that he was kidnapped, but still loved me?"_

" _A life of ignorance is no life at all. I showed you what you needed to see, to know." He was sitting next to her on the bed, wildly gesturing with his hands as he talked to her, justifying in his own fucked up way why he had to ruin Persephone's life. "For that, you should be thanking me, not berating me." He added, taking the bottle and tipping it slightly towards her, raising his eyebrows._

_His tone was light, but Persephone was silent. Her heart was still heavy. But Klaus didn't notice._

" _Otherwise you would've taken the dagger out, had your arm ripped off by me, and then after Kol woke up, he would've just left you because he never really loved you. And he certainly wouldn't have stayed with you for your body, Kol doesn't like cripples that much." Klaus slammed the empty bottle on the bedside and nodded to himself. "Yes, that's what would've happened. I know Kol. Yes." He turned to look at her, his expression smug, and his words final._

_But Persephone swallowed heavily. "It broke my heart." She breathed, voice wobbly, as the room spun around, her unshed tears blurring her vision._

_This time he noticed. And he shifted his whole body to face her. "But it's not the first time your heart had been broken, is it?" He murmured, his voice now quieter, softer._

_She held back a sob. He knew; how could he know? All of her loss and betrayal. Mama, Coralie, Isaac, Willow, Sam. Persephone always tried to hide it, and she did so well. "No it's not." She admitted, tears finally being shed, sliding silently over her cheeks._

" _You're a tortured soul." Klaus whispered gently, as he took her hand between his. "That's what we are. Tortured souls. Both damned to an eternity of suffering."_

_That was when she looked at Klaus for the first time, truly. He very much was like Kol, primarily in personality, their cockiness and arrogance, yet their ability to understand peoples suffering because they too had been through so much. His grin, as well, was so familiar. It was coy yet confident, and it made Persephone think of Kol. It made her think of what they could've had, but what was no longer possible. And as she sat there, room turning, Klaus slightly smiling at her, looking at it, she just wanted to have Kol. She wanted to be with him, close. But that wasn't possible. So she settled for the closest alternative._

_Persephone lifted her hands to his face and kissed Klaus. Taken by surprise, he hesitated at first, unsure of what to do, he then stared kissing her back. He was soft at first, like he was shy, like he knew they shouldn't have been doing it. He broke away from her and blinked slowly. "I don't think…"_

_As he paused, she kissed him once more, this time hard, biting at his lips, slipping her tongue into his mouth. He tasted like blood and whiskey and mint. Persephone gripped the sides of his face harder, he dragged his fingers into her hair, she lifted her legs over and around him into a straddle._

_His hands felt her body, and he settled them down the curve of her waist, pulling her closer and flush up against him. His lips moved from hers to go father down, littering hard kisses along her jaw, to the nape of her neck, down across her collarbone, and down to her chest. Persephone's breathing started and quickened as he sent cold shudders throughout her whole._

_He flipped them around in one swift motion, his lips never once leaving the cool embrace of her skin. The sleeves of her dress slipped down her shoulders, and Klaus pulled them even further. Bringing his hands to her breasts, he brushed his thumbs over her nipples softly, making them harden; he took one into his mouth. The room was spinning as his wet lips moved around, sucking and biting, she dragged her nails against the fabric of his back, wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer. Something in her stomach stirred and tightened, and she felt sick, but continued on, pushing that down and focusing on her pleasure._

_Klaus' body was pressed down on Persephone's and she could feel him hard against her. And she could feel herself heat up and throb against him, and she lifted she waist, grinding herself onto him, moaning in need for more. He brought his head up and returned to kissing her lips, his hands gripping her arms so tight it burned. She knew she'd have bruises in the morning, but the pain distracted her from the bile that rose up her throat._

_It all all happening so quickly._

_They both desperately needed to get rid of the barrier of clothes between them._

_Their hands clumsily clutched at each other's clothes, drunken fumbling fingers grasped at any latches, hooks, and buttons they could undo to get closer. After a few moments, he gave up, violently ripping apart the corset of her dress, causing buttons to splatter across the bed and onto the floor. Persephone lifted his shirt from over his head and threw it far, he pulled her dress down and kicked it away, she tugged at his trousers and yanked them away. They laid there, entangled, drowning their worries within each other, for one night, ignoring the fact that there would be consequences._

_He hesitated for a moment and stared into her eyes, as though in defeat. Hovering over her, his hands holding her down onto the mattress and his chest heaving with every breath he took, she didn't want to but she stared back. It was just an instant, and Persephone didn't know what was going on in his mind, but it was almost sobering._

_They then started up again, and as he plunged deep into her without warning, and god it hurt so much and she didn't care because she needed it. Klaus buried his head in the crook of her neck, ignoring the yelp of pain that escaped her lips and the tears that welled up in her eyes, digging his hands in her hair, his lips on neck, he continued on, hard and fast and unforgiving. Her legs twined around his hips, arms were clasped onto his back, her nails cutting into his skin and scraping trails down as she rocked underneath him. Persephone breathed the sharp, sea salted air into her lungs._

_Every thrust, every push, Klaus' words repeated in her head, 'Kol doesn't love', 'Kol doesn't love', 'Kol doesn't love'._ _'_ _ **He's incapable of love**_ _'_. _She bit down on her bottom lip so hard to smother a sob, splitting the skin and causing blood to leak into her mouth._

_Persephone thought about all the people she had loved, and how they were all dead, but Kol. And her love for him was unrequited. 'Let go of your will to love'._

_And each cry she made was mixed with a sick kind of pleasure. Her body was screaming at what she was doing, but her heart crying, dying, at every single reminder of him._

_And as both Klaus and she finished, he collapsed onto her. They laid there for a moment, Persephone not longer holding back, letting out silent cries in her drunken exhaustion, and Klaus completely still and quiet. Then he rolled off and over, putting his back to her, both of them not looking at each other, unable to bear what they might see. Persephone fell off into her last, dreamless sleep._

"Will you shut the fuck up about it already?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "Well you're a bit touchy today." A sheepish smile made its way onto his face and he leaned his hand behind the couch, re-emerging with a bottle. "Here, have a drink, dull your senses." He offered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She glared at him. "Oh, ha ha. You're just _so_ funny Klaus." Persephone retorted sarcastically. "No thanks." She said, her voice now flat, turning away.

He mocked realization. "Oh yes," Klaus said as he hastily put the bottle out of sight, "wouldn't want a repeat would we?"

She then looked at him; unable to comprehend how was he able to be so jokey about that night? The night where they were both broken and emotionally raw, and found some sort of damaging comfort with each other? "Do you even remember what happened that night?" She questioned.

Persephone watched as he paused and thought for a moment. "Well darling if I'm being honest it's all a bit hazy to me…" He confessed, his voice trailing off as he squinted his eyes in thought.

"I remember everything."

Klaus then looked to her. "What do you remember? Dare I ask?" His voice was sarcastic, and that was when she realized he truly didn't remember any of the things he said, or to the extent of what they meant.

"You called us tortured souls."

He was still.

"Damned to an eternity of suffering."

He was silent.

"I think it was true for me." Persephone rested her elbow on the back of the seat and held her head in her hand. "What about you?"

"…I remember our agreement the next day. Never to mention it ever again to anyone." He avoided her stare.

"I stand by that."

Then he met her eyes, a curious look in his own. "Have you seen Kol yet?"

"You know very well I haven't, because of all people, you know best how Kol would react. You two are the most alike and as you have told me numerous times, 'Kol doesn't care about anything but his pride'." Persephone shot back, her voice cold and hard, conveying no emotion; it was always a game of poker face with Klaus. "He's the one that does the leaving, not the other way round."

A smirk slowly climbed onto his face. "You really haven't forgotten a thing I said that day have you sweetheart?"

She stilled, her eyes focusing on the North Star; one of the brightest stars in the sky, and the only visible one through the cloudy sky. "I will never forget."

He turned to look at Persephone, slightly narrowing his eyes. "Did Rebekah tell you what happened after we un-daggered him for the first time since Spain." His tone had changed, somehow darker and tenser.

"Yes, she told me he woke up in a murderous rage, same old same old." She ground her teeth. He said nothing for a few moments. "Is there a point to your question?" Persephone asked impatiently, all she wanted was to be left alone, not interrogated like this.

"You know, I had never seen anything like it." Klaus started quietly, staring off into dead space, his sudden change of composure took her aback; what was he even talking about?

"You'd never seen him go into a murderous rage? Somehow I doubt that greatly." She responded, her voice sardonic. But it went straight through him.

"It was as it had always been. I took the dagger out, and waited, waited for him to shoot up, do whatever Kol does when he is angry with me." He uttered each word slowly and sharply, like each was a jab to his soul. "After half an hour, when he didn't come for me, I walked over to the coffin, to see what in the hell was going on, because normally he would've been through half of the wait staff by then. I leaned over him. And…" Klaus trailed off, he blinked slowly.

He turned his head and made direct eye contact with Persephone.

"He was just lying there. His eyes wide open. He was awake, but it was like he was dead... dead inside. And he was never really the same after that. Not very noticeably, but something was just _off_. I, uh… I don't really know why."

Klaus stood, and left Persephone in silence, alone again.

After what he revealed, her mind was thick with thoughts, and as she reached behind the couch, she picked up the bottle that was offered to her earlier.

Persephone drank what was inside to either make sense of what Klaus had just said, or to forget.

_Gijón, Spain - 1698_

_When she opened her eyes, Persephone found herself sitting on a chair in a dark, dingy room. She could tell she was near the port as the smell of salt water and fish wafted up her nose. Ropes were tied tightly around her wrists, restraining her movement, the twine cut into her skin making it feel raw and look red. Someone had had put her there._

" _So I see you're awake." A voice connected to a figure emerged out of the shadows, it was Kol._

_Persephone looked up to him, pure outrage flaming in her eyes. "What do you think you're doing? Tying me up here?" She hissed, her voice dangerously quiet._

_But all he did was chuckle. "Oh darling, you got to calm down, I've always had a flare for the dramatics and I won't hurt you, unless I feel the need to." His voice was blithe, but his words heavy._

" _Wow," She leaned back in the chair. "Fine then, if you've really got nothing better to do, do whatever you want to me. I've had a lot worse done, so I really don't care what some cowardous blood-sucker wants with me. Just be done with it already." Persephone closed her eyes._

_She felt a pressure on her neck, but kept her eyes shut, not giving in. His fingers traced invisible lines up and down her neck as she involuntarily shivered under his touch. Her eyes shot open and met with his, inches away from his face. Kol's almost black eyes stared into her, completely unreadable. "I just can't figure you out." He muttered under his breath, withdrawing his hand and stepping back, running his hand through his hair._

" _Well, maybe if you weren't such an asshole at the bar, I would've told you." She replied, then after a pause. "Yet again, maybe I wouldn't have." Her voice was bitter and he stepped back further, almost as if flinching away from the words._

" _If you're not going to tell me then, I guess I'll have to figure it out myself." The words were a hiss from his lips as he darted forward before Persephone's eyes and grabbed her neck, sinking his fangs down into the soft skin, and starting to drink. **Bad decision**._

_He shot up, ripping himself from her neck; he fell back onto the floor, his mouth burning and hissing, groaning in agony. Persephone looked down at him unsympathetically, as blood dripped down her neck. She didn't have quick healing as most immortals did, but was quite resistant to pain after so many years, meaning she didn't really need to heal quickly. "You know, I could've told you that wouldn't have gone well." She drawled, laughter bubbling along the surface of her tone as she continued to watch his struggle._

_Kol coughed out what she assumed to be some of her blood onto the floor, it spluttering against the floorboards. He slowly lifted himself up and to a nearby by seat, panting through his effort. "Okay, darling, that was a funny little prank of yours, what have you got, vervain in your blood?" His voice was raw and scratchy, still obviously recovering from the effects of her blood._

" _Nope." She said. "I just think the blood of my kind doesn't really agree with anyone. It's said to taste like molten rock." Persephone watched his expression carefully and observed as he pondered over this, his eyes drifting off into another world. She took this as her chance to untie myself. Her hands struggled subtly against the twine, her fingers scratching at the knot, and skin rubbing tender against the rope._

" _Are you some sort of, specialty witch?" He quizzed, absent minded, soon after shaking his head to himself. "No, that can't be right, you don't have a heart beat."_

" _Listen, I'm really thirsty, could you get me a glass of water?" She asked innocently._

_He then looked up to her, snapping out of his thoughts, a mean smile on his face. "Huh, now you want something from me. Nice try, darling, but first you're going to have to give me something in return." He rose and inched closer towards her, his face bending down right in front of her, his eyes level with hers, his lips._

" _I don't have to tell you anything." Persephone told the upfront truth, there was nothing he could do to truly hurt her that she hadn't been through before._

_Kol laughed at this, his head tipping back and his whole body rumbling and vibrating from within. "And what makes you think that?" He questioned. "What makes you think I won't kill you?" He continued on, now slower, quieter, his voice but a whisper on her skin. But he didn't scare her, as much as he tried._

" _Because," She began, her voice smug and a smirk overtaking her lips, "even if you could kill me, you'd be just that much closer to death."_

_Persephone watched giddily as his face slowly blanked and fear overtook his face, fear of what she was. He had been so arrogant and ignorant at the beginning that seeing him like that, confused and scared, amused her into smugness. She watched him mull over this revelation, whilst undoing the knots in the rope around her hands. After some seconds, she finally loosened the knots enough to free herself._

_She stood up quickly, gathering her dress in her hands, and started running towards the door, but before her hands could even reach the handle or he could even stop her, a burning sensation overtook Persephone's body. It all happened at once; molten rock scorched her insides and she fell to the floor, coughing up dark blood, her organs exploding within her, her brain seizing and bursting slowly._

_It was the hunters. They were coming._

_Heaving herself up to the wooden floor, she clutched her stomach, nails digging into her skin as she clung for life, but she was too weak. Her soft whimpers quickly turned into deep groaning from within that swiftly turned into screams piercing the thick air as her insides boiled as the hunters tracked her._

_Persephone rolled over onto her stomach and made a pathetic attempt to crawl farther to the door, she needed to get out of there. But her efforts were thwarted as her bones ground against each other like rough sand paper, scraping her joints into bloody dust. They were closer than she thought. **Too close**. She had never let them get so near before. _

_Her body faltered and turned limp, leaving her a sad mass on the floor, open and weak for the hunters to finish her off, once and for all._

_She laid there, unable to do anything but bite her lip open, trying her best to smother her screams. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, slamming her over onto her back as blood pooled out of her mouth, her ears, her eyes, and dripped dark rivers down her face and into puddles by her hair. She looked up and out, through her blurry and heavy lidded eyes to see Kol leaning over her, a panicked look on his face._

" _What is happening to you? What do I do?" He asked, his steady calm voice contradicting the look of utter alarm on his face._

_Persephone coughed up more blood. "The hunters…. They are here to kill me…. Get. Me. Out." She managed to say as syrupy blood coated her throat, gurgling and thickening her voice._

_A look of confusion briefly swept over his face at her confession but he quickly lifted her into his arms and flashed out of there. Persephone watched as various scenes swept before her eyes as she leaned her head on his shoulder. An old and dark rotting staircase, a bright and glary port with the sea dotted with ships and the air peppered with the scent of smoke and fish, a bustling town with the odor of manure and sweat thickening the air. Blood dripped from her face onto his shirt as she found they were in a carriage, horse hooves trotting down the street as warm light streamed through the windows._

_Kol placed her down on the seat close beside him, brushing the sweat and blood and hair off her face as she felt her symptoms slowly draw out as they got further and further away from the center of town. The pain still tinged inside her as she leaned back against the wall of the ornate carriage, sinking down into the soft velvet cushions, and looked at Kol's face. Persephone found that he was already studying her with a searching yet intense expression on his face._

" _Do you care to explain what I just witnessed?" Kol questioned, almost indignantly._

_Persephone said nothing._

_He leaned closer in towards her, his eyes piercing hers. "I just presumably saved your life, something I most certainly didn't need to do, I think I deserve an explanation." His voice was quiet and menacing._

_She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. She had to tell him, she had no alternative. "I'm a gorgon."_

_Silence._

" _And there are hunters out there who are trying to specifically kill me, and they will by that therefore destroy all supernatural creatures, who are all linked to the survival of my kind, the blood and life line." She added._

_Persephone slowly inched her lids open and saw a smile creeping onto his face. "So you're immortal?"_

_She slowly nodded._

" _Well that makes a lot of sense. And this a whole lot easier." He said as he swiftly leaned forward, put his two hands on either side of her head, and snapped her neck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review if you can! Subscribe to the story if you want to quickly hear about new updates, and kudos if you liked the chapter. Thank you for reading. X
> 
> Next Chapter - You find out what Kol's initial intentions for Persephone in 1700. There is more backstory to her relationship was with Samuel, and you find out more what happened between the two, and Isaac and Willow in the 1500's that changed the core of her personality. She also will properly meet Hayley, and they will bond.
> 
>  
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	5. Believe It's The Start Of The End

_Western Spain - 1698_

_Persephone groggily opened her eyes, and shut them, her head pounding. She was wearing the same clothes from the day before. Oh god, the day before, what had she done? It was not much but a hazy dust storm of blurry memories, the only thing she could remember was going to the tavern for one last drink. She must've gotten drunk and passed out in bed. She needed to get up, but physically couldn't. So she just hoped there would still be carriages around to jump on to get to the Alps._

_Retracting her nails from the flesh of her palm, Persephone felt more blood dribble down her hand. She shifted her weight, her neck aching. She was about to drift off to sleep when she heard a floorboard creek. She wasn't alone._

_She jumped up and off the bed, ready to fight whoever intruded her home, fight or flight mode activated. But her sight was met with a shock. This wasn't her room, it wasn't even her home. Persephone was in some decorative space, four poster bed, thick carpet, crackling fireplace, arm chairs, book cases. And right in front of her was some strange man, who was looking at her with an amused expression on his face. That man, she observed, was Kol Mikaelson, and all her memories rushed back, everything, up to the last neck snapping moment._

" _Well, you're a light sleeper." He observed moving forward, towards Persephone._

" _Why am I here?" She demanded, ignoring his remark._

" _Yesterday you told me what you are, but if you're a gorgon, then why aren't I turning to stone looking into your eyes?" He stepped closer._

" _ **Why**_ _am I here?" She yelled, sharp eyes glaring at him._

" _Why isn't your hair snakes, and why aren't you ugly. Aren't those the key marks of a gorgon, you know, 'Face so scary if you look into their eyes-'"_

_Disregarding his quip, Persephone sprinted towards the door. Before she could even reach the handle, he was there, grabbing her hand in his. She looked up at him, eyes wild. "What ever you want with me, get it over with! I just want to leave."_

" _Oh darling, hush hush," He walked over back towards the bed, still holding her hand, and sat, patting the sheets beside him for her to join. She gave him a questioning look but he jerked her hand down, putting Persephone off balance and forcing her to sit. "Now, calm down." He said, his voice condescendingly smooth._

_He relaxed, thinking her deep breath was her 'calming down', but instead it was Persephone psyching herself up, as she lifted her free hand and punched him smack in the jaw, catching him by surprise, causing him to free her other hand_

_Persephone ran to the door, turned the handle, and realizing the son of a bitch had locked it, then scampered towards the window, as he sat up holding his cheek and watched her, in a desperate attempt to climb out, but she stopped at what was beyond the glass._

" _Where are we?" She shrieked, marching towards him, shocked at the sight of rolling green fields for miles upon miles, instead of stone buildings, rocking boats, and civilians, which was where they first encountered each other in the saloon, how had he moved them so far away in only a day?_

_He stood, she could see from the expression on his face, he was angry, and Persephone turned to get away from him, but with a whip of his hand to my face, hurled her towards the wall, where she landed with a grunt of pain, cracking a few ribs. "Sorry about that love, I normally believe in chivalry first and foremost, but there are a few exceptions," He stalked towards her crumpled form, "such as when the lady punches me in the face. But we're okay now, right? You probably have fast healing or something." He offered out his hand for her to take, but she didn't, standing up herself in defiance, and leaning against the wall, clutching at her sides. "Even, right?" He moved nearer, into her space, their faces once again inches from each other. "Just don't,_ _**ever** _ _, get the idea of doing something like that again." His voice was just a threatening whisper as Persephone saw the veins crawl around his eyes, fangs springing out from beneath his upper lip._

" _I'm not scared of you, you can't drink from me." She hissed. "Tell me why I'm here."_

_He stepped back and smiled. "Because I want to help you, love."_

_Her face blanked, that was not the answer she was expecting, was he for real? "Help… Me?" Persephone stuttered._

" _Yes, help you."_

" _Why?" She shot back immediately, not trusting his intentions._

" _Well," He started, raising his eyebrows, "One point is that I'm bored, kind of going through a mid-life-crisis at the moment, and also the fact that you_ _ **are**_ _linked to me, and as you very well know if you die I die, and I happen to like living."_

_She furrowed her brows, her eyes concentrated on one spot, thinking, hard. Persephone could see his eyes burning in my skin as he watched her. A few moments later she looked to Kol with absolutely no idea as to what was going on. "What's in it for you?"_

" _Um, not dying, perhaps?" His voice was sarcastic however it didn't lighten the tension._

" _Why should I believe you though?" Her words were quick and jumbled together. "How am I supposed to know that you won't just sell my out to the hunters, how am I supposed to know you haven't made a deal with them in exchange for something?" Persephone was blinking rapidly, eyes twitching around the room, and hugging herself. He slowly moved towards her as she carried on. "The hunters are literally products of Gods, they could give you anything you wanted in exchange for me, how am I supposed to know you won't just sell me out?"_

" _Darling, look at me." Kol calmly rested his hands on her shoulders, causing Persephone to look up at him. He paused for a moment, his expression serious, but his eyes mischievous. "What more could I possibly want? And honestly, I'm a bit offended you would think I would sell out your life and consequently my own to some 'products of Gods' for a reward. I'm not a dog, I do what I want, I get what I want, I don't make deals with people, I have no need."_

_Persephone was silent._

" _You can trust me, believe me."_

_She swallowed the anxious lump in her throat. "But, how? I've already tried so many times to find a way to get rid of the hunters or break the curse, it never works…"_

_A smirk flashed onto his face. "But in those times did you have Kol Mikaelson, the original vampire, with you?"_

_Persephone couldn't trust anyone, ever, but she could always try, if it meant she could finally be free. She didn't know if she could trust him, yet his aims were desirable. But she just had to be careful with what she gave out, something Persephone hadn't done before._

She was eating her breakfast alone early in the morning after getting absolutely no sleep the previous night, memories killing her dreams, like a plague that came back every time she closed my eyes. Sitting at the end of the table Persephone sat with a piece of burnt toast in front of her and some black coffee to the side of it, swirling around in the mug like a whirlpool as she mixed it. The clanking sound of porcelain and metal was quiet, but it was the loudest sound in that moment.

She stared at the coffee, entranced by the spiral it was making, lost in her thoughts and memories. Thinking back to the times she was normal and didn't have people out to kill her.

Persephone then reminded herself that that was never the case; because people were always out to kill her kind and her kind were not normal. She thought back to when she saw her mother's corpse, falling further and further into her memories in her sleep-deprived state. The sight of her body, the hunters gone, burning her eyes out. The curse ripped through her body as her changed. She was alone, cold, numb. Persephone always tried to stop herself from remembering these things, it pushed her down a dark path, it made her feel, and being who she was, she couldn't afford to feel when the world was out to kill her. Sadness was weakness, it made her vulnerable and she had to be aware at all times. That was an ideology she had to adopt at all times.

But sitting in the room, alone with her thoughts, her mind drifted back to past, just like always.

_Kent, England - 1542_

" _Sam, I feel so weak right now." Her head felt foggy as she sat down on a chair by the crackling fire. Persephone hugged herself as Sam strolled over to her._

" _Yeah I know, but Isaac and Willow have to channel us for pre spell stuff, but just think of what we are about to do Persephone, think about breaking the curse, and everything will be worth it." He sat down on the chair beside her, entranced by the fluid movements of the flames._

" _You know if you would just let me 'demiourgo pyr en lithos' someone I would feel a lot better." She muttered to herself under her breath, but he heard nonetheless._

" _I thought we both agreed we would never,_ _ **ever**_ _, do that to anyone, ever again. We don't have to be monsters, you know that." His voice was firm but quiet, looking at her with tense eyes._

_Persephone swallowed. "Yep, I know, I'm sorry I'm just nervous about this, it's a big thing and I've never attempted it before."_

" _Yeah well, me neither, but there's a first time for everything." Sam's voice had lightened up a bit, and his eyes returned to the fire._

_She looked to him and smiled. "I'm happy I met you, even though I wasn't at the time."_

_His head snapped towards her, a giant grin on his face. "Me too." He replied softly, taking her hand. "You are my best friend, you know that right?"_

_Persephone sighed a smile. "Yeah I know…" Her voice trailed off. "Sam, breaking the curse, its not going to change anything between us, is it?" She asked, eyes welling up with tears. "Because, I know you want a wife and a family, but I don't even know if I want that, and what will happen then? I have no idea what I want…" Her voice was thick with emotion._

_Sam grabbed both of her hands and held them tightly, squeezing the bones in her fingers together. She looked to his eyes. "Persephone, it will not change anything between us, do you understand me? You are my best friend, my sister, and I would never abandon you." His eyes were bright with passionate anger. "Do you understand?"_

_And she wiped away the pathetic tears rolling out of the corners of her eyes, and laughed at herself. "Yes." She said, her voice small._

" _I will never let you get like you were before, I will never leave you drowning in your loneliness and resorting to things, things that you truly didn't want to do, you were just addicted to the power. I helped you recover, and I will never leave you alone again, it's my job to stop you from relapsing. I mean, when we are cured then you won't really be able to turn people to stone therefore you won't be able to relapse, at least like before. But…" He babbled on, and it looked like he was more talking to himself than her, so Persephone blocked him out._

_She looked out the window to the dark forest, rain was pouring from the sky, and she could feel the sharp chill in the air cutting into her skin. Nothing ever really made her feel warm, not when she was what she was. "When are we meant to begin the ceremony?" Persephone questioned Sam, cutting him off from his meaningless ramblings._

_He looked at her with alert on his face, as if she had just caught him doing something embarrassing. "What?"_

_Persephone scoffed and rolled her eyes. "When are we meant to meet Willow and Isaac to begin the spell?" She explained._

" _Oh! Um, I think around five forty, when the solar eclipse is meant to be directly in the sky, they need to draw power from it, you know, the Sun and Moon are very important to the Gemini coven-" She interrupted him before he could begin rambling again._

" _-Okay yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. You've already given me a Gemini coven background brief around hundred times. I don't need to hear it again." She let out a tired sigh and took her hands from his, crossing her arms. Persephone again looked out the window and thanked God or whatever higher power there was that it was dark that day, no one to see the spell._

" _So, what's the first thing you're going to do once we are human again?" Sam asked, trying to lighten up the conversation._

" _Do you really think we should be thinking so far ahead, do you really want to jinx it?" I retorted, a piercing tightness beginning to coil within her head._

" _Oh, you always have to put a damper on things. Fine then, I'll tell you, other than breathe a useful breath, I'm going to go to a tavern and have a pint and socialize with other men, without worrying about being too visible for hunters. You know that's something I haven't been able to do in 249 years?" His voice sounded dreamy and she just wanted to punch his pretty face, but stopped herself. "You know, I was thinking maybe you should go out with Isaac." Sam's voice was small but it teasingly poked its way into her ears._

_Persephone looked at him, the annoyance relevant in her eyes. "Why can't you just let it go, Sam? He kissed me once okay? For some reason you think he now loves me, everyone knows he's a bloody Casanova, I bet he even fornicates with Willow for fucks sake." She seethed, slightly overreacting, but she was feeling tense._

_But all he did was snort. "Well then you bloody well get with Isaac now, because you're not going to find anyone else to put up with you with that attitude."_

_She looked at him sharply, spite burning in her stare and chest. "Samuel, you know I'm only doing this for you, right?" Persephone paused. "Because that's what you wanted, you wanted to help me and now I have to turn human, when I would've been perfectly happy remaining so." Her voice was accusing._

_Sam looked down, his eyes conveying his defeat and guilt. "Persephone, I love you and I want you to be happy, and I think the only way for you to be happy is to be normal, be human, and not have to run away from hunters." He laughed to himself. "And not have to run away from feeling any feelings, because I know that's what you do. And now that you've felt something with me, a strong, blood-like bound connection for me, you just want to run way again. But I'm not going to let you do that. I will be by your side at all times." He said, calm and simple, turning his head up to look at her._

" _I have never understood why you care about me anyway, I am not your sister, I am not your lover, you have no reason to be connected to me, to care, so why do you?" She sounded, her voice numb and chest empty._

_A nostalgic and sad look overcame his face, which he tackled with a strong smile. "You remind me of my younger sister, Alice."_

_Persephone felt as though someone had whacked her in the chest. "You never told me you have a younger sister." She whispered, feeling confused._

" _And you never told me about any of your family members, I knew that it hurt too much to talk about them." He stated, his face steady. "She was my half sister, my mother's daughter after she had been with someone else, but I loved her all the same. She was human, I had raised her as my mother and her father left together after she was born, clearly not able to handle the responsibility of two children. I was ten. She had this, golden curly hair and these eyes, they were the color of the sky at it's brightest; I loved her the minute I set eyes on her. I took care of her, and she was twelve when my father must've died and I, turned."_

_His voice was thick and cracking from emotion, but he carried on whilst Persephone sat and listened in silence._

" _I was this monster, who had to keep care of a twelve-year-old girl whilst on the run from people who wanted to kill both of us. When she turned fourteen, I left her at an orphanage; I decided that, she was better off there with nuns and people her own age. Rather than me, someone who could kill her with a second of eye contact, someone who couldn't protect her from the people who wanted to kill us._

" _I came back five years later to visit her, it was dangerous and I shouldn't have risked it, but I needed to see her. I walked up to the door of the orphanage and knocked. I found out that she was imprisoned the year before, under the charge of," He paused. "Murder. I… I sprinted all the way to the prison, the next village over, I didn't care, I just wanted to see my little sister. When I arrived. I compelled everyone away, and I found her; she was in this dark, damp, and rodent infested cell… She was sitting, pathetic, dirty and small in the corner. I said, 'Alice! Alice! I'm back; I'm here to save you, please come here so I can let you out. But she ignored me. I banged against the bar, I stuck my hands out to grasp for her, but she didn't come. I waited, for hours, and when it was dark, I knew told I had to go. That was when she came out. I remember thinking, what happened to the sister I knew, with golden hair and blue as sky eyes? She was gone, her hair matted with blood and mud, and her eyes, empty, soulless sockets._

" _She came out from the shadows and forward, just enough so I could see but not touch her. I asked her, 'Why did you kill someone?' And she looked at me, and said, 'I was so… hungry.' And I reached for her, saying 'I can get you out, I can compel them to get you out and you can come with me.' She licked her lips, and spat right in my face. And then she spoke._

"' _When you abandoned me, the only person I ever had in the world, it killed me. And now you come here, and you want me to go with you…? I wish that person I killed was you.'" His voice broke, and unfelt tears fell from the corners of his eyes. "And she went back, into the darkness and shadows of her filthy cell. She… she was never meant to be that way, but she became that way because of the life she had, but didn't deserve, and that's why she reminded me of you." He had told the story the whole time, staring out the window; he couldn't look Persephone in the eyes._

_She knew that reasoning with him was pointless, she knew that trying to convince him that what happened to his sister wasn't his fault was pointless, because it was his fault. Much like her Mama's death, and countless other people she had murdered. "Come on Sam," Persephone started, standing up and taking his hand. "We need to get to Isaac and Willow if we're going to do this."_

_He stood and looked down to her, with fresh eyes and a wobbly smile on his face. "Yeah, let's go, I'm getting kind of sick of this whole immortality thing anyway."_

She was shaken out of her thoughts when she saw that Haley had joined her at the table, this time not having her her baby with her. She sat down beside Persephone with an embarrassed look on her face. "Sorry if I disturbed you, I saw that you were deep in thought, but I'm really hungry." She explained, her hand wrapped around a bag of blood.

Persephone bit her lips into a thin line, cursing herself for getting lost in her thoughts and being vulnerable. "Oh no, that's fine, I'm only a guest." She took a sip of her coffee.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, just eating and drinking.

"So, you never told me how you knew Klaus?" She asked, obviously trying to make small talk.

Deciding that it wasn't like she was about to leave the house anytime soon, and she didn't want to be rude as Hayley was obviously trying to be nice, Persephone decided to humor her. "I met him in 1702 when he was in Spain with Elijah, Rebekah, and Kol." She swallowed the lump in her throat at the mention of his name…

"Oh, so you're a vampire." She said in realization, shaking her head.

Persephone smiled to herself at her ignorance; the Mikaelsons certainly were the same secretive family they were 300 years ago, even to their own. "No, I'm a gorgon." She responded simply.

Hayley faltered slightly, her lips slipping away from the straw causing blood to dribble down her chin. "Oh, oh, uh. I didn't know there where such things- people- beings." She stuttered.

"Yeah, not many people do anymore." Persephone continued eating her toast and sipping her drink, when from the corner of her eye she could see Hayley peering at her curiously. "I had some witches shield my eyes five hundred years ago so they wouldn't turn people to stone anymore, well at least not when I don't try." She noted without looking at her. "It was a complicated spell, but necessary."

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to stare, it's just, your eyes are so… enchanting." She whispered.

"Well, they have been literally covered up by gold, it was the only thing that would work."

They were quiet for a moment. "So why are you here?" She questioned, obviously the kind of person who just spoke their mind, and Persephone admired that.

"Hunters, they have been after me for a long time, and I can't run anymore, this is the only place I knew to go to, the most powerful people I know." Hayley was nodding her head, like it was all making sense to her. "So you and Klaus?" Persephone began; it was now her turn to ask.

Hayley snorted at this and shook her head. "Just once, resulted in Hope, who, you know is now my life. She is my daughter, we both love her so much, we don't want to and we don't need to be, romantically involved together to raise her." She replied, her voice sure yet awkward, it was a personal topic to be talking about to a stranger.

"I never really thought of Klaus as a paternal kind of person." Persephone said, absentmindedly.

She scoffed at this. "Think again."

"How, did the baby come though? Aren't vampires, like, infertile?"

"Yeah, but when you're a hybrid, there's apparently a loop-hole to get around that. You know…" She trailed off.

They sat in a more comfortable silence than before, finishing their meals. "Well it was nice to get to know you better Hayley, I don't really know how much longer I'll be here."

"Yeah, you too, sorry about last week when I stormed off-" She started but Persephone held her hand up to her.

"Trust me, I've known Klaus for three hundred years, I've lived with him, I know what he's like. No need for excuses." They both let out laughs of mutual understanding at that. "Have you seen Rebekah?"

"Oh didn't you hear? She, Klaus, and Elijah went on some sort of trip; they'll be gone for like a week. I think they were trying to look for some ancient books, something to do with you, Klaus didn't want to tell me, you know how they all are with their secrets."

Persephone rolled her eyes and shook her head. They had just _left_ , without telling her, leaving her alone, and vulnerable. She hoped in that moment with her whole heart the Elijah had gotten rid of the… problem. "Of course they didn't tell me, not that it matters or anything, it's just my life and the lives of every other supernatural creature on the line."

Haley stilled. She placed her bag down, and slowly turned to Persephone. "What did you just say…?" Her voice was quiet and frightened.

Shit. Persephone bit back a sigh and pushed her food away from me. And with that, she told Hayley everything. Everything about her kind, and the legend of how they came to be and how they were linked to millions of other people purely because of blood, and magic connected them all to her life.

Once Persephone was finished, Hayley had a mixed look of wonderful fear on her face, her head resting in her hand, entranced with everything that was being told, yet also scared, and pitying. "How have I never heard about this?"

Persephone smiled, small and knowingly. "It is a dangerous thing for anyone to know about what I am. The hunters, they have eyes and ears everywhere, word travels fast to them, especially when it concerns gorgons."

"You are so brave." Hayley placed her hand over Persephone's and squeezed it, comfortingly.

"Is it bravery when you don't have any other choice?"

She thought for a moment about the words. "I don't know, but I know that you are." Hayley admitted honestly. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'll always be somewhere around here with Hope." She stood and left, flashing one last comforting smile.

The thought of friends made Persephone once again get lost within the deep abyss of her mind, thinking back to the last friend she ever had.

And the two people who showed her how she was too quick to trust.

_Kent, England - 1542_

" _Step in the circle and we may begin the spell." Isaac extended his hand towards Persephone as she stood unsteadily outside the circle, glued to Sam's side. She was shaking, never before having shown such fear. She had no idea why she was so scared; this was what she had wanted before, this is what Sam wanted, they both had worked so hard over years to try and find a way, and now they had one. Why was she so reluctant? Persephone had been so determined to go through with it a few hours ago._

_They were in deep within a forest and it was only them four; Sam, Isaac, Willow and Persephone. But it felt as though they were being watched, as though there were others around. She felt like prey, being picked and prodded, waiting for the predator to go in for the kill. It all felt so wrong. However she ignored my instincts and paranoia, and stepped inside the circle of salt crystals. She clutched onto Sam's hand as he did to hers._

_The four of them stood beside each other, forming a close-knit circle in the middle of the giant ring of salt. Willow was fiddling around with some pieces of fabric in her hand, Persephone watched her warily. Isaac noticed her staring and cleared his throat. "We need you both to wear these spell enchanted blindfolds-"_

"- _What?" Persephone asked abruptly, interrupting Isaac, tearing herself away from the circle. Isaac and Willow looked at her, startled. Sam stayed where he was, but he looked torn, like he didn't know what to think or where to go. "We have to wear blindfolds? So we can't see? Why? It makes no sense, what are you hiding?" She asked them accusingly. The twin's faces darkened as they exchanged looks with each other at her words._

_Willow stepped forward and placed a hand on Persephone's arm, her face softening with a look of compassion and empathy. "We are hiding nothing Persephone, you must trust us. We need you to wear these blindfolds as you and Samuel's eyes are very delicate and dangerous at the same time, you must wear them to protect Isaac and I, as well as both of you. The spell is unpredictable and we have no idea what it could entail." Her angelic voice attempted to soothe Persephone but her words were like fuel to her fear._

_She started backing away._

_Isaac stepped forward and smiled charmingly. "Persephone, like my sister said we are hiding nothing, you must trust us. We are some of the strongest members of our coven; you know that, Samuel knows that. Yes, the spell is uncertain, but we are powerful witches and I know that if my sister and I have all the correct components, it can work. The blindfold is just a precaution. I know that this spell will work, you just have to trust us."_

_Willow stood behind her brother and smiled in a supporting manner. Sam stepped closer, looking convinced. "Persephone, we_ _**need** _ _to do this, otherwise we will be running for the rest of our lives, and that is not a life I want to live and I know you don't either. We need to take that leap, this is our only chance, and we must do it. For each other, and the people we loved…"_

_And she melted at Sam's words; Persephone needed to do this, for him and herself, she couldn't let her doubt and fear get in the way of their only chance to be normal again. So she moved forward, once again forming a circle with them. "Okay, I trust you all." She gave in; if there was one time to start hoping again, it was then and there._

_As Isaac wrapped the fabric around her eyes, and Willow around Sams, she caught one last glimpse of him; smiling. The twins muttered, "Vincti in lapidem et sanguine" under their breath and Persephone felt the blindfold tighten. "We bound it using magic, if something were to happen to your eyes, some plain old blindfold draped over them wouldn't do the trick." Isaac noted._

_Persephone felt as Isaac and Willow grabbed her hands, forming a link between them all._

" _Are you ready, Persephone?" Sam asked._

" _I'm ready if you are Sam." She replied._

_And she braced herself, waiting for some sort of surge of magic to rush through her, but felt nothing. Persephone strained my ears to hear the spell._

_She waited a moment, for something, anything._

" _What's happen-"_

"- _EGREDIETUR INCIPERET FINIS!"_

_Willow's voice was a piercing scream that caused the eruption of many more voices, all chanting in sync the foreign words of, "Indurabo lapis."_

_And Persephone's insides, they were melting, she couldn't concentrate on what was happening, all she could feel was the heat of a thousand suns. Her throat felt as though it had exploded and she coughed, thick syrupy blood spluttering out her mouth, her eyes, her ears. Willow and Isaac clutched onto her hands as she screamed, their magic sliced through her like a sword, stabbing repeatedly, killing her. She heard nothing but the chanting, her own screaming and Sam's. That was, until a large force kicked her in the chest._

_She fell to the ground, breaking the chain and the blindfold dropped, leaving her eyes exposed. From the dirt she looked up and around her, and seeing people had gathered around the circle, holding hands and chanting, their faces hooded but their eyes shut tight as they concentrated into their spell._

_Sam, Willow and Isaac were stood in a circle and Persephone watched as Sam crippled in agony on his knees. It was he who kicked her out of the link. Willow and Isaac were forcing their magic into him, to kill him, with the magic of the other people surrounding them in the darkness. Isaac glanced back at her with sharp eyes, but turned back around and linked the circle back up. No one tried to get her; they only carried on with the spell, to kill Sam._

" _PERSEPHONE RUN!" Sam cried out, his voice bubbled but clear._

_And she did: Persephone got up and ran for her life as her best friend sacrificed himself for her to those who were handing them in to the hunters._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not edited as well as I would like, but I finished it and wanted it out. Please review if you can! Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you for reading. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays! X
> 
> From this update on, I will begin occasionally doing chapters from different points of view, as I want to show the way other characters see things, not just Persephone. As well as this, there will also be vital things and plot lines in reference to these other characters that I want to show.
> 
> Next Chapter - From Persephone, you will see what happens the first time she and Kol try to work together in 1698, something that immediately establishes their relationship. In present time, Persephone will also meet a certain someone who she has never met before, and hadn't been around in a long time. Someone who suddenly wants to aid in the effort.  
> You will hear from Hayley about who the unexpected person that needs her urgent help is, and what happens when they confront each other for the first time in a while after a not so pleasant send off. They will become useful later on in the story.
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	6. We Live For Others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit: The chapter title is adapted from the quote by Albert Schweitzer, "Live becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier."

_Western Spain - 1698_

" _Get reading."_

_Persephone looked up in annoyance as the arrogant vampire dropped a pile of heavy books at her feet, throwing around orders at her to read. He, however, was over by the bar, making himself a glass of whiskey. It was only eleven am. He was clearly an alcoholic and an asshole, although, what was she really expecting from someone who was holding her partly hostage because he wanted to help her for his own benefit._

" _Darling, I know your mother tongue is Greek, so please accept my apology for not making what I said clear enough." He spoke, breaking her line of thought, and whizzed over to her, lifting a book into his arms and opening on a random page. "'Reading', is when you look at words, normally a fiction or non-fiction text, that have been put into comprehensive sentences, that you drag your eyes over and absorb into your thoughts and brain. They normally relay some sort of information or-"_

" _I know what reading is you asshole!" Persephone yelled, outraged at his rudeness._

_Kol, however, hardly flinched at her insult, and dropped the tome in her lap. "Then get to it." He quipped bluntly, turning around, and returning to his drink._

_Throwing the novel off herself, she stood, and stalked up to him, an incredulous look on her face, arms crossed in disbelief. "You said you wanted to help me!"_

_His expression was blank, and he looked at her down his nose._

" _Your idea of 'helping' me is shoving a bunch of books at me and expecting me to do all the work?" Persephone carried on, poking his chest._

" _Why, yes." His voice was condescending, as he daintily picked her finger off his chest and dropped it back by her side. "Now, I have some errands to run, I'll be out for a few hours, try not to get yourself killed in the mean time, maybe get some reading done whilst you're at it."_

_With that, he sauntered away, and out the door of the living room, slamming it shut behind him, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the enormous space with her mouth hanging open in shock. Who did he think he was? 'Offering' to help her, locking her up in this giant house with no escape – as he had stated earlier - then dumping a bunch of dusty books in front of her and expecting her to do all the work whilst he ran 'errands'. That was not helping Persephone with the problem, that was sweeping the problem under the rug and keeping her out of danger, pretending there was no issue, just so he could live on forever whilst she rotted in this damn house._

_And she had never felt more demeaned in her life._

_He wasn't taking her seriously, he was belittling the curse and her as if nothing really mattered just as long as she stayed out of harms way, he could live his merry life; but Persephone would teach him._

_Storming out of the door, she ran into the main entrance that housed the grandiose stairs and the front door. Just as Persephone started up the steps to his room, she heard a knock at the door, which caused her to pause her movements out of fear of who was at the door – no one could know she was there._

_Starting to duck for cover away from the guest, she watched as a servant hurried to answer the door before Persephone could get out of sight. So she just stood in the hall and watched as the butler ushered in a stunning looking woman; she had on an opulent dress of lace and frills, big and puffy, showing off her small waist and large breasts, she had caramel skin, dark curls, green sultry eyes and supple looking lips that were pursed into a pout._

" _Valentina! Darling, I told you there was no need for you to inconvenience yourself by coming out for I would bring myself to you anyway."_

_Kol's voice yelled down from the stairs as he descended, a smirk on his face and hunger in his eyes as he spoke to the guest. "Oh Mr. Kol, I thought it was the least I could do after you saving me from that man the last week," Her voice was a thick Spanish accent as she sashayed towards him, her hips swinging. "It just means we get to spend more time with each other during the trip." She bit her lip as Kol approached her, taking her waist in his grips as he nuzzled against her neck._

" _Marco, tend to the horses and refresh the supply of champagne in the carriage." Kol said half minded, causing the servant to rush outside, leaving Persephone alone in the entrance with Kol and Valentina, both of whom hadn't even noticed her presence._

" _My Madre didn't want me to leave home, but once she found out it was for Mr. Kol, just jumped for her joy." Valentina whispered in his ear as he gently bit her neck, sucking slightly against her flesh._

 _Persephone felt a simmering rage grow in her gut as the sight in front of her. Kol was leaving_ _**her** _ _to do all the work so he could go off cavorting with some woman?_

_Charging forward, she decided how she was going to teach him his lesson. Shoving the woman out of his startled arms, she fell to the ground, shrieking at the force with which Persephone pushed her. "Mr. Kol! Tell this crazy lady to go away! Do to her what you did to the mean man last week!" The woman yelled, looking up at her with disgust in her dim eyes._

_Kol walked forward, wrath getting stronger and stronger with every step he took towards them. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked, his voice dangerously quiet._

_Persephone turned away from him and crouched down in front of the vicious woman. "Demiourgo pyr en lithos." She whispered under her breath, her eyes piercing the woman's. And she stood up and back, allowing Kol to watch as the woman was slowly turned to stone, her screams shrill and ear piercing, as she repeatedly pleaded for the pain to go away, her skin was burnt into cold, grey stone as she struggled on the floor to move. Kol did nothing but watch, an unreadable expression on his face._

_Once she had fully turned, Persephone felt the rush of absorbing all of her energy and her soul. The pit of guilt that would've sat at the bottom of her stomach was non-existent, there was no space for that when she had gotten her retribution. She strolled up to Kol and stood beside him, gazing at the statue, and taking in the grotesque, contorted expression she had on her face. Kol slowly turned to look at her, his eyes wide, and his mouth hanging open slightly._

_She bent her head to the side. "That's what happens when you don't take me seriously." Persephone stated simply._

_By looking at his throat, she saw him swallow thickly and cough. "I wasn't aware you could still do that." He replied quietly, his voice sounding smaller than she had ever heard it._

" _I can if I say these three words-" Persephone paused deliberately. "I of course won't say them now, because then that," she gestured over to the statue, "will happen to you."_

_He clenched his jaw._

" _I don't appreciate it when I am not taken seriously, and considering the fact that it is not only my life on the line, but also yours, I think you should really think a bit harder about the cause next time you want to go out to run little 'errands'." She spun around and started to walk away, but halfway up the stairs, stopped and turned back to him. "I doubt you want to see me angry again." Persephone smirked down at him, as he looked up at her, indecipherable thoughts drifting around his face._

_As she turned the corner upstairs to go to her room, Persephone caught one last glimpse of him; smiling and shaking his head._

_She thinks that was the day she earned Kol Mikaelson's respect._

She wondered around the area aimlessly. Persephone had been there for days without leave and was starting to get stir crazy. It was as though every time she woke up the compound just got smaller and smaller, sucking all the air, and leaving a dead atmosphere. There was nothing she could do, having read every book in the house twice over, and they were of no use.

So she looked to the front door, almost able to feel it beckoning her, urging her to leave, just for a moment of freedom. Persephone knew it was dangerous, she knew it was stupid, but in that moment she felt as though her mind was going to go mad. After always having to be constantly on the move, running away from any danger, staying in one, single place for so long was making her feel so skittish. No one was telling her anything, leaving her to feel as though all was hopeless. She was making no progress, neither was anyone else, if they were even trying.

In that moment, she thought the maybe if she just tried running, left without a single word and disappeared into the crowds, she could melt into the city, becoming an invisible being, as though she didn't quite exist. It was quiet.

"Hello."

Her head shot up at the foreign voice, and her eyes were met with the sight of a woman, dark blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and she held herself with what was elegance but also a hint of superiority. She had never seen her before. The woman lifted her chin higher into the air as Persephone turned around to to face her as she stood in the doorway.

"Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

Persephone coughed, clearing her throat. "I'll tell you who I am once you tell me who you are." she said, her voice even, but a phantom heart hammering against her chest at the intruder; she was _meant_ to be safe here. In that moment she knew she should've ran from the random intruder, she didn't know if she was safe around her, but it was the most interesting thing that had happened during her stay, this unknown prowler. That, and she had nowhere else to run to.

The woman pursed her lips. "Very well. I am Freya Mikaelson."

Furrowing her brows in confusion, she repeated the name over and over in her head. 'Mikaelson'? Persephone had never heard of a Freya Mikaelson, how the fuck had they kept a secret original sister from me? "You're a Mikaelson…" she whispered aloud to herself. Kol always had talked about his four living siblings: Finn, Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah. He had not so much as inferred he had another sister… But whom was she kidding? It wasn't like their relationship was real at all…

"So I told you who I am, now it is you who must return the courtesy." her voice was hard and cold, and something in the way she acted and composed herself reminded her so eerily of Elijah. But then she also saw how Freya had Rebekah's eyes, and Klaus' hair, and she thought maybe the idea of a secret sister wasn't so ludicrous after all, especially considering how guarded the Mikaelson's could be.

"I'm Persephone."

They both stared, sizing each other up. Persephone spoke first.

"Your 'siblings' never mentioned another sister." she said warily.

Freya smiled knowingly and bowed her head. "They didn't know I was alive until a few months ago."

"Why am I only just meeting you now?"

She wandered forward slowly, the sound of her pointed black boots echoing around the space. "I left my newfound family for some time, I needed to find myself in this new world. They tried to contact me, but I required time alone, so they eventually stopped." clearing her throat loudly, she stopped paces away from Persephone. "But I'm surprised they didn't at least try and inform me about your enigmatic presence."

"My stay here is meant to be secret."

"But the my brothers and sister know of you being here, and I am still a Mikaelson despite my timely exit. And I know that we Mikaelson's don't easily accept guests into our house without important reasons." Freya grazed her eyes up and down her. "So Elijah, Niklaus, Rebekah, or hell, even Kol, not pleading to me for the kind of help they know I can provide, does cause some disbelief. They know they can always come to me for assistance…"

"Kol doesn't know I'm here." Persephone quickly retorted as she trailed off, panic evident in her voice and expression. "He can't know I'm here."

Freya raised her eyebrows slightly. "I'm not one to pry into the private lives of people, especially those of who I don't know. Therefore I shan't ask about your strange comment, but," she clasped her hands in front of her and stepped forward, taking a deep breath. "If my siblings had tried to message me that they had a guest who they needed to keep secret, I could've aided in their effort. It's a shame they didn't at least try."

Persephone furrowed her brows. "What could you have done to help my concealment that would be any better than the other Originals?"

A look of realization overtook her face and she looked down, smirking. "It seems you truly misunderstand me." she whisked her hand up into the air and smiled. "I am not a vampire. I am a witch."

With the sharp snap of her fingers, a ring of fire rose up around them, roaring, creating a tall wall of flames that flickered sparks and smoke, and licked at Persephone's skin and clothing. She was confused now more than ever. If Freya was a witch, and the Originals sister, how was she still alive?

Suddenly, she felt her grasp her hand upon her shoulder, Freya's long, sharp nails digging into Persephone's flesh and her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she whispered inaudible chants under her breath. A searing pain from her core soon expanded throughout she body, it was as though she was being burnt alive, it was as though she was being ripped from her skin, and it was almost one of the worst pains she had ever experienced. But before a scream could escape her lips, the pain was gone.

And before she could blink, the circle of fire surrounding them was non-existent, and Freya was back to normal, standing in front of Persephone, a thoughtful expression upon her face. The intense agony may have gone away, but she could still feel the after effects of whatever the hell the woman had done to her, and her brain pounded and thumped against her skull. Persephone wearily lifted her hand to her hair and rubbed it soothingly. "What the hell did you just do to me?" she hissed, as any sound above a whisper was much too loud.

Freya had a contemplative look upon her face, staring almost blankly into the distance, until she snapped out of it, regaining her composure and looking to Persephone. "That has no matter now. I know why you're here."

It was soon Persephone's turn to look at her, outraged, just figuring out what she had done. "I can't believe you looked through my mind!" she winced through her yell. "You don't know me, you have no right to-"

"-Lets not engage in a petty argument about me having any right to look through your mind." she interrupted, her voice bored. "I only saw what I needed to see, you needn't worry about me invading your privacy, I now know everything I need to know, nothing more."

Persephone couldn't believe her, how dare she? The woman was just some stranger, someone she hardly knew, let alone someone she could trust. The arrogance and rashness in her actions infuriated her. How could she even know Freya was who she said she was?

"I was taken from my family before Niklaus was born. I have gone through a constant cycle of being in hibernation for a hundred years, and waking for one. That has now ended, and I am alive." she elaborated, her voice passive. Her eyes snapped to Persephone. "If you have any doubts about my claims, then so be it, I won't try to convince you otherwise as I am in no mood to try and explain it, especially when I know you aren't one to trust easily. But do let me advise you that trying to 'demiourgo pyr en lithos _'_ me will be a very big mistake." she stepped forward meditatively. "I won't try to help you. When Niklaus, Elijah, and Rebekah get home from their little trip, tell them I am back, you will learn of my use, and I will be waiting."

With that, she turned on the heel of her foot, and walked to the front door. She however paused, keeping her back turned to Persephone. "Don't try running, you will die, and then I will die, and after being in an immortality-spell induced coma for so long, I would rather be awake for at least a few years, and not die because some girl decided her mental well being was more important than the whole supernatural population." she glanced back. "But just in case, I have placed a boundary spell upon these premises, you can't leave."

Walking out the door with condescending grace, her footsteps echoing out into the room, she said, "Good day, Ms. Demetriou, please remind the others of my presence. But not Kol." And Persephone could almost hear the smirk within her voice. The Mikaelson smirk.

That was the moment that really brought her back to earth; the only thing that truly mattered was that she was alive.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The second last time they had met, Hayley betrayed him and let Klaus sacrifice all the hybrids, which made him angry, which made him hate her. She knew what she did was wrong, so wrong, and that she was a traitor to him. She knew that what she did to just find out more about her family was selfish and cruel. She understood that he hated her after it, and she deserved it. Hayley deserved his hate.

The last time they met, he threatened to kill her baby. He threatened to kill Hope. Just to get revenge on Klaus. And that made it her turn to hate him, and she did, she hated him so much, so, so much for trying to hurt her and her baby. She couldn't believe he would've tried to do such a thing.

But there it was. Hayley couldn't believe he would do such a thing.

And that's probably what he thought when she let Klaus sacrifice all those twelve hybrids.

You can never know what someone is capable of until they do it. And she had been thinking and thinking for so long, they had all done things they regretted, all done things they hated to think of, but they lived on, because they had no other choice.

So when Hayley got that text from him, that desperate plea for help, she forgave him, because it was either that, or carry this giant parasite of hatred towards him for what he did, and she wasn't prepared to do that, just to spite him. She was so sick of hating people. Having already dropped her hate for Klaus, she decided to drop her hate for him as well.

Tapping her foot impatiently against the rotting floorboards, she checked her watch for what felt like the hundredth time. _12:03 am._ He was late. Thirty three minutes late to be exact, although it's not like she should've expected any better from him, but he knew she had Hope, and she hated being away from her for too long, ever since everything that happened with Dahlia, Hayley liked to stay close to her.

' _Come alone.'_

His text said, meaning he probably wanted the meeting to be discreet, but she had no idea what the fuck he wanted. They hadn't spoken in a year, after what he did, and then out of the blue he messages her wanting to meet in the bayou 'alone', saying he was desperate. He obviously wanted to lay low, and taking Hope out and about normally attracted a lot of attention from the supernatural community, who normally just gawked at her. It never bothered Hayley though; they were always probably just wondering how someone so beautiful and innocent such as Hope could be half Klaus Mikaelson.

She sighed and checked the time again. _12:05 am._ What was going on?

"Hayley."

She looked up from her wrist and found Tyler and a curly blonde haired girl standing in front of her. It had been the first time Hayley had seen him in so long, and in that time she had spent so closely with him, she had never seen him look as bad he did standing in before her. He had purple bags under his eyes, dark stubble prickling along his jawline, and he looked sickly pale. The girl beside him didn't look any better either.

Hayley stepped forwards instinctively, and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into a hug, clearly shocking him as he was tense at first, but soon clung onto her. Everything that had happened was thrown out the window the minute they took each other in they arms, because Hayley was reminded of the times they spent together, the times when he was her best friend. And she had missed that, a friendship, it was something she hadn't had in so long. She missed her friend.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you." he said into her shoulder, his voice muffled but she could hear the emotion almost cracking it.

All her old happy memories flooded back to her as she pulled away and rested her hands around the back of his neck, just looking at him. Hayley smiled, and wiped away one of the tears that fell down her cheek. "I am so sorry about what I did, to the hybrids…"

Swallowing thickly, she stood back, taking her hands from him. They both just stood and gazed at each other for a moment, a quiet moment of peace.

"I forgive you." they both said in unison, causing them to both smile, and laugh a little.

Tyler then put his arm around the shoulders of the blonde girl, and brought her to his side. "Hayley, this is Liv, my girlfriend." Tyler patted Liv on the back, causing her to hold out her hand.

Hayley took it, smiling. "It's nice to meet you Liv," she said, shaking her hand. The blonde had a tight grip.

Liv kept a cool demeanor, narrowing her eyes just slightly and the corner of her mouth lifting into what could be called a smirk. "It's nice to meet you too, Hayley, despite the circumstances."

Her words made Hayley raise an eyebrow, she clearly ready for business. "Okay then," she began, withdrawing her hand. "What is it you guys need from me?" Looking between them she saw Liv had a surly expression on her face, and Tyler just looked pained.

He finally sighed. "It's a really long story…" he mumbled, trailing off, not looking her in the eye.

"Well it's a good thing we've got time." Hayley replied back sharply, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "Go ahead, explain, I kind of need to know."

Tyler looked to Liv, who looked to him. He made an unsure expression and she groaned, stepping forward, suddenly grabbing Hayley's head between her hands, she forced images into her mind, flashes of scenes, feelings, smells, sounds; memories.

Terror, destruction, pain.

But the images were out of Hayley's mind as soon as they came in, and suddenly it all made sense. Liv stepped back, and stood beside Tyler, looking at her gravely.

"You're… You're running from that… That guy who-"

"My brother." Liv stated bluntly.

Hayley gulped air into her lungs. "Your brother, he- he did all of that?" she brought her fingers to her temples and rubbed small circles, unable to believe that all of that had happened, and she hadn't heard of it. "To those people…"

They nodded. "Now you understand why we need to lay low for a bit." Tyler stated the obvious.

"He is still alive, and he is the most powerful witch I have ever met." Liv's face twitched, and Hayley could tell all of those things that had happened were truly traumatizing. "We can't kill him, because he has a link to me and my other family members, and even though he is locked up, I have no doubt that he will find a way out, and in the event of that happening, I need a way to be able to stop him." Liv stated, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Hayley smiled awkwardly. "I'm sympathetic guys, really, but why do you need me?"

They both looked to her, their faces blank.

"Like, could've you have gone anywhere in the world to 'lay-low', why come here?" she elaborated, shifting her weight on her feet, causing the floorboards to creek loudly into the silence.

Tyler looked down, stoic and silent, his jaw visibly clenching. Liv looked to him and sighed, rolling her eyes. "We heard about the daughter of the Original witch," Liv stated, nudging a panicky looking Tyler in the ribs with her elbow. "We searched around for a bit and a friend of a friend told me that she has been resurrected or whatever weird shit happens within the Original family, just that she's back." Liv paused to lick her lips. "The link between all the Gemini's is very strong and in blood, but that doesn't mean it's unbreakable. I think this Original witch, with all the power and strength people have told me of because word travels fast when you don't try to stop it, can help me finally break the link between me and my psycho brother."

"Um…" Hayley started, unsure of what to say.

"Listen," Tyler finally piped up, "I know it's a lot to ask, and I don't- we don't expect you to agree to let the Original witch-"

"-Freya."

He looked at her with appeasing eyes. "We don't expect you to get Freya to agree immediately, and you may be thinking 'well why should I help' well-"

"Breaking the Gemini connection means I can finally rid the world the burden of my fucking crazy as shit brother." Liv's words were crass and blunt, but Hayley could see the weight they had upon her in her eyes.

Taking a subtle deep breath, Hayley nodded. Freya loved her family, despite the fact that she hadn't been around for a few months. She knew she'd be back, so Hayley decided not to tell them of her absence, that news could be for later. "I need to get you guys in the compound for now…" and with that, she started trekking away from the bayou cabin and out into the woods, her feet landing into the steady rhythm she had learned so well within the limits. "I will try my best to help you, and get Freya on board, but I can only go so far, especially with everything that is going on right now here…" she yelled back to them, looking behind her.

"What's going on here?" Tyler asked, his voice ignorant and questioning, the look on his face incredulous.

Hayley smiled faintly. "Oh, only maybe the destruction of supernatural life as we know it," she paused. "Oh, what is your fucking crazy as shit brother's name, anyway?"

"Kai…" Liv replied, and Hayley looked back upon her and Tyler's paling faces, clearly at what she had just said.

"Welcome to New Orleans guys."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit late, I have some things I'm dealing with in my life right now, but I'm working on it. I'm still not sure about how well I portrayed Hayley from her point of view, like how realistic it was in terms of her character. Please review if you can! Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you for reading. X
> 
> Next Chapter - This one is from Kol's point of view. You see how he really is dealing with coming back from the dead, and being back in his vampire body. However, he discovers a secret from Marcel, that changes everything in his newfound life. Kol will truly loose control.
> 
>  [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	7. And We Are Fragile In Trust

Sucking on the girl's neck, the metallic taste of her blood melted in Kol's mouth as his tongue danced across her skin. She was making irritant sounds, some sort of animalistic grunting and squealing. Pulling away from her, wiping his mouth, and rolling his eyes, Kol grabbed her head and said, "Quiet down will you darling, I'm busy… Better yet, go to sleep." He watched as her pupils did that dilating thing, and she dropped in his arms. He had to admit, although being a witch had its perks, he had always loved doing that. Getting back to drinking her, he ripped off her decorative headpiece and shoved it in the bin next to them, resuming.

And Kol had almost finished draining her, when he was thrown away from the girl, his body slamming up against the adjacent wall with a thud, dislocating his shoulder.

"KOL!" A voice yelled at him as he moaned in pain. But it became evident his assailant had no care for his pain, when they lifted him up and pressed him against the wall with their arm. Then, he knew who his assaulter was, and opened his eyes.

"Marcellus…" Kol tried to go for a cheery tone but his voice just ended up scratchy, his bones grinding up against each other while his shoulder healed did not help. "What brings you here today?"

Marcel just rolled his eyes and glared at the older vampire. "You know exactly why I'm here today Kol." His tone and face were condescending and he gestured towards the girl on the floor. Kol resisted the urge to groan and punch his face, instead, plastering an innocent look on his face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

He dragged Kol by the collar and threw him to the floor, so he was facing the barely breathing girl, who was sprawled across the floor. Kol looked up at Marcel and feigned understanding.

"Ohhhhh, Rachel is why you're here today?" He stood up with some struggle and finally became level with his attacker. "Because you can have her," Kol leaned in and cupped his hand to the side of his mouth, by Marcel's ear, "because she's a bit too vocal for my liking." He said in a stage whisper.

Marcel's nostrils flared. God, he was so easy to rile up. "You need to stop doing this Kol. You know I don't allow anyone to just go around feeding on humans till they die." He stepped closer. "And you are no exception."

"Oh Marcellus, why are you so serious all the time? You've got to relax, loosen up, once in a while." Kol exclaimed. "We're in New Orleans, for goodness sake, have some fun!" From the alleyway he looked out to the road. God, he had missed New Orleans. They truly were party animals. Their vibrant parades in the street, decadent looking costumes of glitter and sequins, structured silks and velvets formed into unique attires to celebrate what ever thing they had to party about. The alcohol ran free through the hands of people, splashing about, dizzying amounts to put someone to sleep for days. Kol couldn't believe it when Niklaus had suggested he take some time to himself and leave, 'Miami has good parties as well'. He had pretended to take his brother's suggestion into consideration, but that wasn't happening. Only in New Orleans did they party through the day and night.

What a big contrast it was to being dead.

But Kol didn't really like thinking about that.

He started sauntering away towards the river of bodies, however Marcel grabbing the scuff of his shirt, and hauling him back, stopped him from advancing farther. "Klaus and I will have no option but to dagger you if you carry on this way."

This made Kol angry. So seized Marcel's wrist in his hand, elbow in his other, and gave a quick bending jerk; breaking his forearm in half, only his flesh and skin holding it together as it hung limp at three angles, causing him to scream out in pain, however his wails were droned out by the parade sounds. Kol backed him up against the wall, and placed his arm against his throat, locking him in place. Normally he didn't hurt Marcel, but in that moment, he was just being _so_ insufferable, Kol needed to prove him.

"Darling, you do realize I _have_ got eight hundred years on you, right?" Kol asked the rhetorical question, oblivious to Marcel's pain. "I am far stronger, and I'm _so_ sick of the dagger threats."

But he stood his ground. "Klaus and I will do whatever it takes to stop you. You're getting out of control, and if that means daggering you, we will do it."

Kol rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I've only critically injured slash killed literally four humans over the past three months. If that's what you think me going out of control is, then you obviously don't remember 1821." He paused, thinking. "And also, _again_ with dagger warnings, you're definitely Niklaus' son, or whatever your weird relationship is. Don't you have any other tricks?"

"You don't have any empathy for mortal lives, you broke Davina's heart after she brought you back, God only knows where she ran off to after abandoning her regency, and you've killed four, now maybe five innocent humans." Marcel straightened up, and continued sprouting out what was only white noise to Kol. "I won't allow this within my control, you spiralling out, and I know that Klaus won't either when he comes back and I tell him."

This got Kol's attention. "Nik's not here?" He said sharply.

Marcel hesitated, looking unsure of what to say. However, Kol simply kicked his knee up at Marcel's limp hanging, yet healing arm, breaking the recovery process. "Okay, okay, well," he looked side to side, "Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah both left to do some research, you know about that girl who is staying in the compound, something about getting rid of huntsmen."

Kol was confused. "What girl?"

Marcel eyed him but Kol raised his eyebrows, an idle but meaningful threat underhand. "You know, white hair, these… gold-yellow eyes. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and spends a lot of time in her room and the library. She hasn't really introduced herself to me." The younger vampire squinted his eyes in thought. "Stephanie, Sephone… All I know is that she _has_ to stay indoors and not go out the compound, they won't tell me any more yet."

And Kol backed away, the world around him dulling as he realized whom Marcellus was speaking of, releasing him from his hold. "Leave." Kol commanded, his voice flat but the lump in his throat was clear in the word. From the corner of his eye Kol could see Marcel peering at him, the sudden change of demeanor obviously scaring him. Kol turned his head slowly. "Get out of here before you regret it." His voice was a whisper, but Marcel knew, flashing away before his eyes.

When he was alone, he fell back against the wall, his mind flooded with her, memories and all.

_Western Spain - 1700_

" _It says here that gorgons have the ability to…" He trailed off, using all of his knowledge of the Grecian alphabet to decipher the symbols before him. "Um, fornicate?"_

_Kol looked up at her, confusion evident on his face; he was never good at Greek. She reached her hand out. "Here, give it to me."_

_With a small grin, he hefted the heavy tome over to he and leaned back in his seat, watching her mutter foreign words under her breath as her eyes ran over each line of text. She lifted her hand to her mouth and traced her fingers over her lips. Her shoulders were slumped and her back bent over the book. Her hair messy after the many times she ran her fingers through it, in frustration with what she was reading, as well as me. Her eyes studied the words intently, and Kol her._

" _Kol?"_

" _Yes darling?"_

" _Why are you looking at me like that?"_

_Kol shook my head, and realized he had been caught staring at her. She had a bemused smile on her face. "Nothing." He coughed. "So what did you find there?"_

" _Oh it was just a recount of someone being turned to stone, quite morbid yet an accurate account, considering my experience." She released a forced laugh and flipped through more pages of the book._

" _What is it like?" Kol paused as she looked up at me, a perplexed expression on her face. "To do that, turn someone to stone."_

_She hushed._

" _I mean, I saw it happen to Valentina, I know what it felt like for her, but not for you." He continued on, watching her._

_Looking away into the distance, she was quiet; Kol could tell she was thinking through the question, and didn't dare speak up. "Euphoric."_

" _Then why don't you do it anymore? For pleasure? It made you strong and felt good, I don't understand why anyone would stop." A bitter smile appeared on her face._

" _I said the effects were euphoric, but not the before." She looked to Kol and grabbed his foot, taking him off guard, lifting it to her her lap. "You saw that girl, Valentina, you heard her, you know what it's like to an extent. Having to watch the person go through it. Watching as this, stone, travelled up their body, from the bottom of their foot to the top of their heads." She crawled her fingers up his boot. "It was disturbing. Their screams, they were probably the worst thing, not watching them die, but hearing it. I mean, most people scream when they are in pain, right?"_

_Kol nodded to her rhetorical question, not wanting to interrupt._

" _But them, they were screaming because their soul was being ripped away from their body, they were losing bits of themselves with every waking second. The pain, I know it must've been immense, but I think their screaming was because their spirit was being peeled from them." She swallowed, and chuckled. "In my heyday I used to just block it all out, I just wanted the rush, not the emotional guilt, I used to tell myself it wasn't really my fault, I couldn't help it."_

" _Well its true, you couldn't help it, it's not your fault what happened to you." He reasoned, and she looked at Kol, a grin on her face._

" _Is that what you tell yourself every time you kill someone?"_

_The question surprised Kol, no one had ever tried to questioned his monstrous activities before, they just felt normal to him, instinctive. He fumbled for words. "Well…" But she just laughed._

" _Its okay, I don't judge you, I don't judge any super naturals. Everything we do is in our nature." She paused for a second. "We are predators, we are made to kill. Why do you think we thrive on things that are necessary for human survival? Vampires and blood, werewolves and flesh, gorgons and souls. It's the natural circle of life. We don't have to follow it, but that makes our quality of life poor, and it's everyone for themselves on Earth."_

_She looked at Kol; the tips of her lips extending upwards just slightly, so if you looked hard enough you could see a smile on her face. "Yes darling, you took the words right out of my mouth, whatever would you do without me?"_

_Laughing, she kicked his foot off of her, it landing on the floor with a painful thump, and threw a soft pink cushion in Kol's direction, him easily catching it it in one hand, giving her a victorious smirk. "But then why did you do that? Shield your eyes?" She raised her eyebrows at me, in a questionable manner. "You yourself said that the way we are and the things we do are only natural, so why have you hidden what defines you?"_

_She pressed her lips into a line and Kol could see her eyes get glassy; he had unknowingly struck a nerve. And so he waited for her to get up and run off, waited for her to block herself off like she did anytime he accidentally asked a personal question, but she didn't. Instead, she stayed put and looked straight into his eyes, swallowing thickly. "I had a friend who taught me that we don't always have to follow our nature, no matter how much our soul wills us to, predators don't always have to be predators."_

" _I thought you didn't have any friends." Kol spoke before he thought, and braced himself for her to tell him to 'fuck off', but once again she surprised him._

_And she burst out laughing. "You're… Such a… Little… Shit…" She managed between giggles._

_Kol raised his eyebrow at her. "If that's how you talk to everyone its no wonder you have no friends." His voice was indifferent yet sarcastic._

_Once she finished laughing she tipped her head up and smiled at the ceiling. "Yeah, well I've lived this long without many friends, I think I'll be fine."_

" _Well at least you have me." Kol swung his feet up and onto her lap, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head._

" _The little shit." They both said in unison._

Persephone was back. But why, it made no sense.

Elijah told Kol she tried to un-dagger him but agreed to wait until they made it to America, so they were safe from Mikael's and his own wrath, however she disappeared soon after due to 'personal reasons'.

Rebekah flat out refused to talk about it. She acted as if she had never even existed, even though Kol knew they had spent months together on a ship sailing across the Atlantic.

Nik told him she ran the minute we hit land in the New World, and probably never loved him, or cared for him. He said that Kol didn't need her when he could have whoever, and whatever he wanted.

But he had no idea.

Kol found that he couldn't trust anything they were saying, because none of their accounts matched up with the person he knew Persephone was.

She may have been difficult, she had issues, she didn't like to open up and trust people, but after those times they had had too much to drink or he had to hold her when she couldn't sleep, and she told him of people she loved and lost or of people she trusted who betrayed her, learning why she was hard to get trust from, he realized that once you had it, she was the most loyal person ever.

Yet, he must've been wrong about her.

He had seen it, the glimpses of her dark side, and the manipulative blips in her character, the emotionless way she would speak about matters such as death. She was so alike Kol, but the difference was… he trusted her. And she lied about everything.

It made him angry.

She had played Kol for the fool he acted as, an infatuated fool. It made him feel nauseous even thinking about how he was around her. Her deceitful ways clouded him ever clear ability to judge what was in front of him, and instead of seeing the evil psychopath that she was, that she had become during her life, he saw some broken thing that he wanted to cradle and look after and- and trust.

How stupid he had been.

She had discarded him to a dreamless sleep in a dark coffin, whilst she could go out and live her life and probably trick some other man into feeling for her and keeping her safe. After Kol woke from my much too long sleep, he was determined to never let the likes of a beautiful woman get in the way of him life. Never again would he allow myself to be humiliated.

And now, now she dared to show her face here, after she abandoned him? And Elijah and Niklaus and Rebekah allowed it? She must've been the person Rebekah was hiding in the dining room a few weeks ago. She lied straight to his face, and when that didn't work, she snapped his neck, because apparently protecting Persephone from him was more important than the fact that she left him. From the fact that she had almost taken everything from him.

It just showed how they had no regard for him, Kol the forgotten brother. They didn't care about him, they were the three musketeers, and they did whatever the fuck they wanted. They didn't even bother to tell him she was here.

Kol stood, _God_ , he was acting pathetic, having a little pity party on the ground. There was a bloody parade going on out on the streets and he was sitting amongst filth getting angry about some betrayer, thinking of what he thought they had. She didn't even matter anymore. She was nothing.

As he was about to make his way to the streets, Ruby or whatever her name was started to moan in pain. She did look ghastly, her neck covered in her own blood, and her skin deathly pale. Rolling his eyes, Kol, like the Good Samaritan he was, bit his wrist and fed her some of his blood. He compelled her to think she just passed out due to drunkenness, because in the condition he found her in to begin with, it would've happened sooner or later.

Finally, after the immense weight of her possible death happening was lifted from his shoulders, Kol made his way out into the crowds, crossed the road and entered the tavern that Nik's pretty blonde 'friend' Camille worked at. It was surprisingly empty, but that wasn't a problem, more alcohol for him.

He walked up to the bar and positioned himself on a stool; the girl had her back to him and hadn't noticed his presence. "Pardon me, could I please have a martini, extra dry." Kol put on his most polite voice.

"We're closed sorry." she said flatly, and then turned around to put a glass away and saw him. "Oh, its you."

"Yes."

"We're shut."

Well she was rude. "But where else am I supposed to get my extra dry martini?"

She gave an over exaggerated sigh. "Fine, but only one, then you _have_ to get out, I have somewhere to be."

Camille got to work; whilst Kol was waiting he brought out his phone, deciding to give little Rebekah a call.

It rung twice, and she picked up. "Yes Kol." Her voice was tired and he could hear Niklaus and Elijah bickering in the background.

"Hello to you too darling sister, why, my day is going _just_ fine, I'm just sitting here with my close friend Camille, discussing all the torturous things I should do to you and Nik and Elijah once you get back from your road trip, thanks for inviting me by the way." His voice was over zealous and sarcastic, and he could tell Camille was listening in on the conversation but in that moment Kol didn't care.

"Kol what are you going on about?" Rebekah's voice was dismissive. "Yes, Nik, Elijah, and I went on what you call a 'road trip', and what I call my own personal hell, but we had some things to sort out and didn't think you'd want to come. I thought you weren't even in New Orleans, Nik said you went away." The way she so simply lied to Kol on the phone, made him angry.

He breathed. "Now Bekah, I'm giving you one last chance to be honest with me."

"Kol, all you do is worry that we're all planning to dagger you in the back, you need to calm down and stop being so paranoid." Her voice gave away no hint of what he knew she was hiding.

"Then why did Marcellus tell me of some white haired, yellow eyed girl who was staying in the compound, and commanded to stay within those limits?"

The other end was silent, Nik's and Elijah's bickering had stopped, and Rebekah wasn't replying. He heard the faint sound of whispering exchanges.

"Rebekah…" Kol's voice as well, was now a dangerous whisper. "Tell me why we are boarding Persephone in the compound?"

"Kol," Elijah's steady voice was now on the line, "please understand why we couldn't tell you of Persephone's presence. You know we had no choice but to help her, she is now the only one left, she is weak, and we must end the hunters plans for her death, for the sake of her life, for the sake of our own lives, and the millions of other vampires, witches, werewolves and etcetera, before we all die out as a result."

He could practically feel them all waiting for him to answer, and he let the silence pierce their ears before he spoke. "…You, my so called brothers and sister, you all mean nothing to me. No more will I allow you to push me on the outs of your trio, no more will I allow you to ask for my help when you finally decide to include me, and no more, will I care about _any_ of you."

They were hushed.

"You are betrayers."

Kol hung up; anger boiling within. Camille pushed the glass towards him, and he downed it in one gulp, it burning down him throat, lifted his hand, and threw it against the bar wall, it smashing into hundreds of pieces, and making her gasp.

He was furious. He stood; grabbing the chair he was sitting on and snapped it in two, hurling it out a window, tables, split from his kicks, and the bar bench top tiles cracked from his fists. Kol's fury burst out of him like an erupting volcano, as he snapped wood, smashed glass, and screamed profanities in his rage. It was as though everything he had ever felt was spilling out from within him, and all he could do to get it out was destroy, that was what he always did.

But before he could do full frontal damage and set the place on fire, Kol felt multiple pricks on his neck and torso. Syringes, full of vervain. As his the world slipped away from him, he turned to see Camille, a blurry, but fearful expression on her face, holding some gun.

"No… Hard feelings…" Kol managed to mutter to the scared looking woman before he passed out.

_Western Spain - 1701_

_She was doing it again. The screaming._

_Kol put his drink down, and rushed up to her room, opening the door to find her, red palms, the tops of the sheets stained scarlet, and sweaty all over. Her eyes shot open when she felt him take her hands in his. She had four small half-moons cut into them that were oozing blood. He ran the pad of his thumb over the cuts and shook his head as she let out a little hiss of pain._

" _Why do you keep on doing this to yourself, love?"_

_She looked up at Kol, with gleaming eyes and messy hair, shivering from the cold yet covered in perspiration from the fear of her dreams. "It's meant to remind me to wake up."_

_She lightly tugged her hands away from him, but Kol held onto them for longer. She was so cold, colder than him, and He was undead. Her skin was like ice. Blood smeared her palms, and he could see small scars from other times she dug her nails too deep. "What makes you do that?" He asked quietly. "The screaming, this?" Kol squeezed her hands._

_Her eyes became entranced by the flickering flames from the fireplace at the end of the room, or she was just avoiding eye contact with him. "You know why."_

" _But you never tell me what it is that is so bad in your dreams-"_

" _-Nightmares." She interrupted. "They are not dreams, they are nightmares."_

" _What are your nightmares about? You must tell me or there is no way I can help. It's not healthy for anyone for you to keep on doing this. It's not healthy for_ _ **you**_ _, we can't afford for you to be weak." Kol placed his hand on her cheek, forcing her look him in the eye. "You can trust me, just, tell me."_

_She hesitated, but gave in. "I see terrible, terrible things." She paused swallowing as if she was working up the courage to tell him. "My mama dying at the hands of the hunters, whilst I am so close to her, yet out of reach. Me, killing a friend, watching as stone burnt up her body, and loving every second of it. Me, running as two witches I trust and the hunters murder my friend, sprinting away from his screams of… pure agony." She was crying, but she didn't know it, thick tears spilling out of her eyes, her bottom lip wavering, her nails digging into Kol's hands, all unbeknownst to her. "And the worst part is, they aren't nightmares I'm seeing, they are memories I'm remembering."_

_And he was quiet, wiping away a tear from her face, his heart quietly breaking as this girl; this girl that he took in and said he would fix. This girl who he spent every day with reading and talking to and laughing with, the girl who was always so strong and guarded and could kill him with one glance and the uttering of three words, the girl who had so much power in just her look, was so broken inside._

_And there was nothing Kol could do, he could not put the pieces together, the little shards were too sharp and would cut him as well if he weren't careful. So instead, he held her, and brought her crumpled form into his arms; Kol rubbed circles on her back, and hummed to soothe her. They had never been so close, never touched the way they were then, and yet it felt like the most natural thing to do. Her head rested in the crook of his neck, and his chin upon her head. "You don't have to be here." She whispered._

" _I want to."_

_When she started to pull away, wanting to fall back into herself, Kol just held onto her tighter._

" _I had a family, four brothers; Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, and Henrik, and two sisters, Freya, and Rebekah. Freya was taken away from my family before I was born. And after my brother Henrik was mauled to death by a werewolf, my father, who was already ruined after losing his first daughter, convinced my mother to create an immortality spell, so he could never loose another child. Thus creating vampires. They regretted it immediately after they realized what they made; monsters." Kol paused when he felt her take his hand in hers, her fingers laced through his, nearly stilling his heart. He swallowed thickly, the weight of his words were heavy, as Kol had never told anyone of this. Never shared it to anyone. "Now; my mother is dead, my brother Finn has been neutralized by a white oak ash dagger for the past 600 years because of Niklaus, who along with my other siblings Elijah, and Rebekah don't even care about me, and my father, who is a vampire blood sucking vampire, is trying to kill us all."_

_She was quiet, so, so quiet. It was almost as though she was dead herself, even more so still. "We're monsters." She whispered, looking up at Kol, and him down at her. "We both live loveless lives."_

_In that moment, it was as if all their pain, grief, and loneliness had been lifted from their hearts, as if they had never done any wrong in the world, as if they were young and innocent again. Kol had never felt anything like it before, not since he was alive, truly alive._

_And they kissed._

_It was soft, unlike anything he had ever done with anyone before. It wasn't a sloppy sucking kiss, it wasn't a bloody smash of lips together, it was like they both had so much more to say. Her lips were like velvet as they brushed up against his, and Kol could practically feel all of her the words, and feelings rushing out. She rested her forehead against his, and with her golden eyes she gazed at and into him. Kol could feel the weight of the world in his heart. The feeling was alien, and strange, he was free, yet trapped at the same time, but it felt better than anything._

" _But we don't have to."_

_He took her head in his hands and they kissed again, this time deeper, and for longer. He broke her lips apart with his tongue and she allowed him to enter, and feel, inside._

_The way they were kissing, it wasn't like anything Kol had done before. It wasn't lustful and messy, or needy and full of hunger, like it was with most women he had been with._

_It was the kind of kiss that breaks your heart, the kind of kiss the means so much more than words, the kind of kiss that makes ever stopping feel unbearable. And he had never felt anything like it, holding this beautiful creature in his arms, her hands linked behind his neck, and her body pressed to his as if she needed every single bit of contact she could get._

_Kol traced delicate kisses down her neck, her collarbone, his tongue drawing circles upon her cool skin. He started being firmer, kissing more aggressively, and biting softly. He knew he would leave marks, but didn't care. The taste of her salty sweat mixed well with the sweet, honey flavor of her skin, and he never wanted to stop tasting her. Her fingers running through his hair, nails scraping his scalp, as well as slowly undoing the buttons of his clothing. Her fingers were clumsy, her hands shaking, like she was scared but excited but nervous. As she pulled his shirt off, he lifted her nightgown as well, leaving her naked, but revealing more of her._

_Turning her over so she was lying down on the bed, he took one of her hands into his own. Kol paused as he hovered above her. For a moment, just a moment, they stared into each others eyes, and it was like staring into the heart of the universe, seeing all the pain and suffering, all the blemishes and mistakes and broken pieces. But he also saw the beauty, the wisps of gold within the dirt, the flicker of light in darkness._

_And that was when Kol knew this girl would be the undoing of him._

_They kissed again, their tongues smashed against each other, and she bit down on his lip. He tasted his blood, and pulling away, Kol saw she had some smeared below her mouth._

_But Persephone just smiled at it._

_He felt her soft, icy hands grip at his shoulder blade, her nails lightly scratching the flesh, and he lowered his head down to her breast, and took it in his mouth, his tongue swirling patterns around her nipple. Kol took the other in his free hand, and started to massage it with his fingers, eliciting more of a reaction from her. She sucked in short and sharp breaths. Kol knew she only breathed when she felt overwhelming emotion, and he laughed against her skin, as she called out his name in a hoarse voice. But he couldn't stop touching her._

_She used her hand to cup his chin, pulling him back up to her, she moved her lips down and around his jaw, spraying light kisses, and to his neck, sucking harder and longer, biting down on his skin and pulling back, as if she need Kol more and more each time. It was her turn to mark him. And she would, even if it only lasted a moment._

_Her hand wandered to the bulge in his trousers, and Kol let out a moan as her hand went in. Ever so slowly, she wrapped her fingers around his length, and started moving her fist up and down. He pushed his hips down on her, getting harder and harder with each waking second, she started increasing in speed and pressure. Even though she was going at it firmer and faster, wanting to get more from him, her hand was still tantalizing, and soft, sending shivers through him as his breathing labored._

_As she did this, Kol's hand slid down the curve of her body, and she touched her sex; she jerked slightly at the feel of his foreign fingers exploring her, but soon relaxed, sighing at the sensation. She was wet, and he pinched her clit gently between his fingers, making her shiver. Pushing one finger inside, he slowly began feeling about as his other fingers explored her on the outside. She gyrated her hips against him, wanting more, whilst she came closer, and closer to finishing him. Kol couldn't take it anymore. And he could tell she had the same thought._

_They both rushed in our need, and unbuckled and unbuttoned his trousers, as he kicked his boots off. Tearing off his last piece of clothing, he gripped both of her hands above her head, she laced her legs around his waist, and they kissed one last time, and he slid myself into her._

_Kol could feel her soft walls take him in, and he was slow at first, tender and delicate. One of his hands was still down around her slit, rubbing her the bundle of nerves to ensure she got there. But he soon got faster, speeding up, immersing himself deeper and deeper into her each time, both of their moans and yells getting louder and louder. Her hands pulled from his, and grabbed his back to steady herself, digging her nails into his skin, gritting her teeth. She lifted her pelvis to meet every stroke he made, bringing them both closer and closer to finishing. He could feel her trembling beneath him._

_Biting down on her neck, not drawing blood, her nails ripped into his back, but neither of them cared. And as the end was near, they both nestled their heads into each other's necks as they came at the same time, crying out each other's names in ecstasy. Every single sense of his was flooded with intense emotion, her cries were like music to his ears, he could hardly see anything yet could see everything at once, his whole body was feeling every sensation everywhere, the air smelt sweeter, and her name falling from his mouth was the purest thing Kol had ever tasted._

_He had never felt anything like it._

_After a few moments of recovery, he collapsed down next to her, taking her in his arms, the way he did before it all began. He tangled his fingers in her long hair and she rested her head on his shoulder, her arms bound around him. Kol pulled the blanket up so it was draped over both of their bodies. She tilted her head up, and locked eyes with his._

" _I trust you." Persephone murmured quietly. "With everything."_

" _I trust you as well." He replied, hushed, running his thumb over her lips._

" _I wish we could stay like this forever."_

" _The truth about forever is that it's happening right now."_

_Letting out a small breath, and smiling, almost sad looking, lifted her hand to his cheek. "Don't ever leave."_

_And Kol took Persephone's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together, and kissed it. "Never."_

_He had been through so much in his life. He had run from murderous witches, hungry beasts, and angry vampires. He had been hated and spat on and forgotten and unloved. He had been chased for over seven hundred years of his life from someone who was meant to love him, but was instead trying to kill him because he despised what Kol had become, a monster, which he was. He had lived his whole life in a constant state of denial over the fear he was in, because he was always in a life and death situation, every second that ticked by._

_But in that moment, he had never, ever, been more scared in his immortal life. It was petrifying, but also exhilarating._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is quite a long chapter, I just felt I had to go into enough detail to make everything seem realistic to Kol's character. Please review if you can! Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you for reading. X
> 
> Next Chapter - Back to Persephone, she has a flashback to her time with Kol, and you learn even more about their relationship dynamic. After thinking about it, she falls back into a bad habit because she can't deal with what the memory does to her. And as a result of this, she gets an unexpected visit from people from her past, and she has no idea what to do.
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	8. So Darkness I Became

_Western Spain - 1702_

_Persephone and Kol were silent for a while whilst on the hill. It was serene, and she felt… whole. There was a warm feeling that sat in her core, and the breeze in the air was soft against her skin. The stars were bright against the stark black sky; she didn't think I had ever seen it so clear._

" _You know," Persephone started, voice hushed, eyes getting lost in the patterns above, "there's this story that comes with the constellation Perseus: he was one of the great heroes-"_

" _-You've already told me that one." Kol interrupted quickly._

" _Oh, okay then, well…" Her eyes flickered over to the constellation of Andromeda, and she thought of her story with Perseus. "Cassiopeia, the wife of Cepheus, was extremely vain, and bragged that-"_

"- _I know that one as well."_

_Persephone looked over to him, annoyance evident on her face. "Why can't you just let me tell the story?"_

_A look of disbelief over took his face and he sat up, putting his weight on his elbow so he was looking down on her. "I've heard all of them twice and thrice times, Persephone. I don't need to listen to them again, why can't we just relax under the stars without all these stories."_

_She scoffed. "Says the one who loves the sound of his own voice."_

" _Don't say you don't love it as well, darling." Kol smirked down at her, and she rolled her eyes. "Let's not argue. We both like the sound of our own voices, but there are many things to talk about other than stories of monsters and heroes, okay? That's all I'm going to say on the subject."_

_And she should've been irritated. However despite his annoyances, Persephone couldn't help but smile. He always liked to have the last word, he could be so self-righteous, but it was hard to hate on that. As he sat over her, the universe the background to him, the moonlight illuminating his spiky hair, the corners of his lips upturned slightly so it looked like he was biting back a smile, his eyes so dark that anyone would call then soulless, but not her, it was as though every time he looked into her eyes, she could see infinite depth within them, there was too much to see, therefore you could see nothing at all._

" _You know, it's rude to stare." He murmured, reaching down and stroking the side of her face._

_Letting out a small laugh, she whispered, "It's hard not to…" curling one of his locks around her finger._

" _Sorry sweetheart, I didn't quite get that," He craned his head forward, cupping his ear, "could you please repeat that?"_

_Shaking her head at his absurdity, a smile snaked onto Persephone's lips, and her hand dropped down to sit over her heart. "You, Kol Mikaelson, are the most beautiful man I have ever met." She announced, giving in to his demand._

_Tousling his hair with his hand, Kol smirked. "You don't need to tell me twice sweetheart."_

_This made her snort loudly, and she punched him in the arm. "We should go back inside." She made no move to go. "We, uh, need to try and make more progress in our research."_

" _We haven't made progress for_ _ **years**_ _, it's useless to pretend to try." He reached his hand around Persephone's waist and pulled her over to him, the dew of the grass wetting her skin. He laid himself down so he was on his side and she, pressed against his chest. "But I was thinking, maybe we don't ever have to make progress in the seemingly hopeless effort?" He kissed the top of her head. "We can just run forever, with only each other-"_

_He stopped abruptly and roughly pushed her away from him, sitting up on his knees and looking over her, a panicked look on his face. "What's wrong?" Persephone asked, staying where she was, staring up at him in perplexity. It was normal for his composure to change quickly, it was just who he was, but what scared her more was his expression._

_He reached into the back of his trouser, and brought out a handkerchief. "Your eyes, they're bleeding."_

_Persephone brought her fingers to her face, and felt nothing. Touching under her eye, she pulled back her hand, seeing that her fingers were tipped in scarlet. And that was when she felt it, the dampness of tears streaming from her eyes, down her face, he frantically wiped them away, but she could feel it coming out thicker, heavier, each time he dabbed them away._

_And she started to feel lightheaded. The stars were no longer where they were meant to be, they were moving, spinning. Kol was a blurry red smudge in her vision, and everything was being mixed together. The grass beneath her was shaking, and Persephone's stomach seized._

" _Kol, I-" Rolling over, she spluttered out thick clots of blood onto the grass, staring down at the ground below her, she watched, dazed, as the crimson puddle was expanding, as blood started streaming from her nose, her ears._

" _Shit, bloody hell, shit, no, no, no." Persephone felt as Kol picked her up in his arms and ran back towards the house, under the door, up the stairs, through the hallway, into the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, but she coughed up more and more blood, soaking the pillowcases maroon. God, she was so hot, and soon enough had a thin film of sweat covering her skin. And her body, it was so sore, so fatigued, aching bones and screaming joints._

" _They must be near." She croaked, her voice grainy and weak._

" _What do I do?" And he was gone, but immediately came back seconds later, a sodden towel in hand, he dabbed at her skin, cooling it as it made contact, but her skin burning the minute it left. He continued doing this for a few more moments, but the towel was soon soaked in blood, and he threw it angrily into the fire, causing it to explode in flames. "How the hell did they find us all the way out here? The mansion is cloaked!"_

_Persephone spluttered out more blood._

_He paced for a moment, abruptly stopping, and biting his wrist, shoving it to her mouth. "Here, here take my blood, that must help darling, it must."_

_She had no choice but to try it. It was thick and metallic, yet stringy as she swallowed it, and for just a second she felt better; the room stopped spinning and everything stopped bleeding._

_He breathed a sign of relief, taking her hands in his._

_And before he or she knew it, Persephone was screaming. The pain was crueller than anything she had ever felt before. It was like something was burning her from the inside out._

_It wasn't stopping. It was getting worse and worse, spreading from the pit of her stomach out to the tips of her toes and the top of her head. It was like there was something inside of her, ripping her apart to get out. It was bone-splitting pain._

" _MAKE IT STOP PLEASE! I CAN'T, IT'S TOO MUCH I CAN'T, NO, NO, NO!" Pleading to to non-existent entities, Persephone writhed on the bed. She started scratching at her own flesh, needing to get out of her body; she needed to. The feeling of skin peeling and flaking away under her finger tips was sweeter than the pain the blood caused._

_Kol, shaken and confused and terrified at her reaction, lifted Persephone to his lap and had to clamp her against his chest to stop her from scratching myself, or even from hurting him._

_She felt something burst inside, and it climbed up within, from the pit of her stomach, up her throat, and to her mouth, wherein she choked out this string of black liquid onto the bed, it gathering up into a thick, dark puddle, smoke rising. Persephone's intense agony immediately ceased._

_Before either of them could relax in relief, her bleeding immediately commenced._

_Fatigue overtook Persephone's body, causing her to go limp. Pain resumed however it was nothing compared to what she had just been through. Everything around her became faded and hazy._

" _We need to run, before they come." Her voice was a hoarse whisper._

_He looked at Persephone, a mixture of fear, and disbelief in his eyes. "Run? And leave everything?" He looked around the room, at all the things they had collected over the years. "We can't just leave, we have to fight, we must end this once and for all."_

_Wiping away bloody tears, she reached up to him, her finger coated in crimson. "Look at this Kol, look… Does this look like fighting to you?" He looked at her, his stare one of stone. "Because to me, it looks like dying… and it's not going away anytime soon."_

_She touched his hair, his temples, running her fingers down his jaw, and over his lips, painting a picture on him in her death._

" _We're not ready to fight this, not yet." He took her hand to stop her. "Once we leave, get some… distance, break the link, I'll be better…"_

_He hesitated, and she let out a muffled cough onto his shoulder, leaving a red stain on the no longer white fabric. "…Yes, yes we'll leave, you know how to do this better than I do." He placed Persephone back down on the bed. "I just need to arrange a carriage, I'll be right back, I swear."_

" _Hurry…" She murmured to an empty room. Persephone closed her eyes for a second, just a second._

_When she opened them, Persephone found she was lying down in a rattling carriage, she must've passed out. She heard the sound of horse hooves, a whip, and Kol muttering to himself. He was hunched over her, his hands on her chest, pressing down and up and down and up roughly. His face was contorted, and he looked to be in as much pain as she was._

_And she watched him for a while, unable to move, but when he saw she was awake, he leaned back, relief washing over his face._

" _I thought I lost you there…" He brushed hair away from her face. "You're still bleeding though, not as much as the start, but still there, is that normal, love?"_

_Persephone nodded. "They must be at the estate by now, and the further away we get, the weaker the flow should get until it stops." He blinked in understanding. "How long was I out?"_

" _Fifteen minutes."_

_She made a face. "And you thought chest compressions were going to help had I been dead for fifteen minutes." Snorting, blood bubbled slightly at her nostrils._

" _Well that was attractive." He dryly remarked. "I didn't know what the hell to do, I didn't know if you passed out or had died or whatever. It's not like you breathe anyway, there was no means to know, so I did what I saw my mother do whenever Rebekah stopped breathing in her sleep, as she was a sickly child. That normally worked." He raised his eyebrows at her. "I mean, I obviously did something right, you're awake."_

_Persephone coughed out more blood. "Where are we going?" She asked, wiping her mouth, successfully attempting to sit up straight, making room for him to sit beside her. He did._

" _We'll stop at Gijón for a couple of days, to make arrangements for a ship that we'll take to Iceland. I thought that would be a good place to go to, with all the chaos that has been happening there, we'll get lost in the eye of the hurricane." He regarded her, as if waiting for approval._

" _That sounds like a good idea." She replied, smiling feebly._

" _I know." His voice was cheeky and soft. "Now come on, its late, you're exhausted and bleeding," he pulled Persephone over so her head was resting in his lap. "I'll play pillow for a bit so you can sleep." He said, brushing her sticky hair with his fingers._

_And she fell asleep quickly, blood still falling from her eyes, ears, and nose, but knowing everything would be okay._

"Hello, madam, are you in need of any food or drinks?"

Persephone looked away from the window, as the servant startled her out of her thoughts. "I'm fine thank you." Marie, that was her name.

"Okay then madam…" It sounded as though she was about to leave, but Persephone could saw her hesitate by the doorway, looking unsure.

She looked back at the older woman. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, but," she sighed, "you haven't left your room in two days, and you haven't eaten much, Sir Klaus and Elijah would not be very happy if he thought you were locked away starving yourself." Her fingers gripped at the door, and Persephone could see lines creasing her forehead, unsure if she was over stepping or not. And Persephone found her worry heart-warming.

So, she gave her a small smile, reassuring. "I'm fine, really, you don't need to worry about me."

Maria gave a brisk nod. "Okay madam, if you need anything, just ring the bell." She stepped out of the room, and went to shut the door.

"Wait!" Persephone yelled out, at whim. The thought had been prodding at her since she had found out that he was there. Should she ask her or not? Her mind was playing a tug or war between yes and no. She thankfully hadn't encountered him in all the time she'd stayed there. But Persephone attributed that to Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah keeping him at bay and in the dark. They weren't there anymore, so what was stopping him from seeing her?

An alert look painted Maria's face as she rushed back into the room. "Yes madam!"

It was now Persephone's turn to hesitate. But she needed to know. "Have you seen Kol recently?"

The woman looked surprised at the question. "Mr. Kol? Oh, I haven't seen him in many days, perhaps a week? But that is not uncommon, he will go out for days and even weeks at a time but then come back like the usual. He, uh, likes to party. Madam Rebekah said that he's in Miami at the moment though, so I am unsure of when he will come back." She stopped and thought for a moment. "Would you like me to tell him you asked for him when he returns?"

"No. No, that's fine." Persephone replied curtly. "In fact, he doesn't know I'm here, its meant to… be a surprise, so please, keep my presence a secret if you see him." Giving her an assuring smile, she turned back to looking out the window. "Thank you Marie."

"Madam." Persephone heard the sound of the door shutting.

She knew it was wrong to lock herself away in her room, but she knew she couldn't risk seeing Kol. And she hoped with my whole that Marie was right about what Rebekah said about him going to Miami.

Outside, a parade of people wearing vibrant colors swirled around in her vision creating psychedelic spirals on the streets as loud cheering vibrated her way, the music was quick bursts of staccato beats as people cavorted around the area. Alcohol was thick and heavy in the crowd as people carelessly sloshed it out from their cups and glass bottles as they moved in rhythm to the tunes, their forms creating great buzzing waves of movement that diligently flowed down the streets as they made their way to the end of the whole spectacle, if it ever did end.

People were free, their thoughts focused only in the moment and not giving any mind to the fact that people were suffering out in the world. As they danced and drank and lived, others, people they knew or didn't, could be in pain and torture and on the brink of death. But they didn't care in that moment, not because they were selfish, but just because nothing really mattered in those instances of happiness, love, and life.

And that was something she could never have. Because at any moment, her life could be in danger, and therefore the lives of millions of other supernatural creatures linked to her, to her life source, to her magic, and to her power. Persephone could never live a life as those people below, and she never really had. From the moment she was born, she had been running.

Persephone had had some short moments wherein she felt freedom, the pull and breath of fresh air away from the tight restraints her life had always held on her. But then back again she was forced into the small box of her life, and because it was all she had known she stayed there, for long periods of time, until someone could manage to pull her out again, if only for a short time.

Then she thought of him.

No, Persephone couldn't. He wouldn't. He didn't.

He didn't even know she was there. And he couldn't. It would be too much.

She knew that if he ever did find out, Klaus would dagger him before anything happened, he had assured Persephone. And she didn't know how she felt about that.

Stop.

Persephone needed to stop thinking about him. If only she could join the masses crowding around the boulevards, liquor running through her veins, and music passing through her soul. That would stop her from remembering.

But then she caught something in the corner of her eye. Something she hadn't thought of since she had arrived. Her backpack.

Slowly turning around to look at the mass of black fabric, Persephone peered at it as though in the next moment it would burn her eyes. Her mind worked, something within her chest hollowing out. She knew what was in the bag. What she had packed in there, exactly for a time like this.

And she needed it. Anything to dull the thoughts.

Before rationality could even stop her, Persephone was over there, and shoving the bag onto the table beside her bed, her hands rifling through it, the contents spilling out, and she had so many options but her hands instinctively landed on the syringe. She leaped onto the bed, calming herself, hands gripped around what she needed.

Tightening a belt around her arm, she laid flat on the mattress. Curling her fist shut tense, Persephone readied the needle at the crook of my elbow, and it pricked her skin lightly. And then she jabbed it in, and pushed down the plunger, getting ready to black out.

Back into the deep dark circle, but she was safe, just as long as she stayed within the confines of her captivity. The needle deep in her arm was flowing out the medicine into her veins, and it calmed her, but it also made her weak, vulnerable. But they would protect her, Persephone knew it, she was safe. It was a better time than ever to be weak. Just for a little bit. She was addicted, she would admit it, she had unconsciously been holding out for this moment the whole time during her stay there. But as the remedy ran warm through her body, making her feel light and tired, she felt there was nothing to be ashamed of. If you love something keep it.

Kol.

His words echoed through Persephone's mind. _'Why do you keep doing this to yourself?'_

Her thumb instinctively stroked at the scars that ran along the palm of her hand. The thick lumps of matted and scared skin rough against the pads of her fingers. Sight was slipping away from Persephone, her senses blunting.

' _Why do you keep on doing this to yourself?'_

"Stop, no." She muttered to the voice in her head, words slurring together to create in cohesive statements, although it wasn't like anyone was listening but herself.

'I want to stay here forever, I want to be weak forever, my thoughts dull, and my worries gone', she thought to herself, as she felt the world slipping from around. The drug was removing Persephone from what was surrounding. Almost like it was putting her away in some secluded, room devoid of light, wherein it was only 'me, myself, and I'.

And she loved it. The isolation, it was something a part of her had missed, something she hadn't had in a while, but something she wanted forever.

' _The truth about forever is that it's happening now.'_

A knot formed in Persephone's stomach, and her heart lodged itself in her throat, as Kol's words echoed in her mind. They reminded her of what she fucked up. They reminded her of where she went wrong. They reminded her of the forever she could've had with him. And even though her senses were dulled in that moment, it hurt like a bitch.

She weakly lifted her hand to the bedside table, feeling around. Once she felt the plastic bottle and the rattle, Persephone flipped the lid off and poured pills into her mouth, swallowing them dryly despite the fact that she hated the feeling of them moving down her chest.

A drug overdose, it would put her out for a day, a day and a half, tops, yet for the most of it, she would be in a dreamless coma. And that was something she desperately needed.

But it wasn't what she got.

" _You know all I wanted to do was help you Persephone."_

_When Persephone felt the prick of her voice hit her ears, she turned around violently to the source of the sound, so she could face her, but was only met with darkness, a kind of darkness that wasn't because of lack of light. It was as though something was engulfing her, blocking her sight._

" _I will never let you look at me again. Not after what you did to me."_

_Her words hit Persephone like a hammer. "Coralie…"_

" _If I had've known that when we first met, in my shop in the summer of 1462, that you would be my undoing, I would've run, far away from you Persephone." Her voice that Persephone had known, the soft and kind tone and delicate words, was gone, replaced with a passive, monotone coldness._

_Reaching her hands out in front of her, she tried to grasp for Coralie; she must've been near, her voice, it was so real, she must've been right in front of Persephone. But her wandering fingers were only met with brushing air. She took a shuddering breath as she felt her phantom heart skip a beat. "Please Coralie, you must know I didn't mean to hurt you, I was lost and alone… I had no one." She pleaded pathetically._

" _No Persephone, again with your weak self pity." Her words cut deep wounds within. "You're lying, even you know it yourself deep down, because you had me. I was there for you."_

" _I couldn't I-"_

"- _NO!" She yelled, like a slap across Persephone's cheek. "You had me. You knew it at the time and you know it now, but you wanted to feel sorry for yourself, you wanted to isolate yourself, because that was what_ _ **you**_ _wanted. And now that is what has happened."_

" _Coralie, I loved you, you were like an- an- an aunt to me, and I didn't want to hurt you, I tried to distance myself towards the end so I wouldn't hurt you, please understand, you need to know." Persephone choked out the words, but the lump in her throat muffled them into incoherent noises. Nonetheless, Coralie understood._

" _But you did, hurt me. You were the death of me. I was dying and you did nothing, just like you did your mother."_

_A sting in her heart. "But…" Persephone fell to her knees, unable to hold herself any longer, under it all, the guilt. "No… you knew about my Mama… that she died… but you didn't know about… that." Her eyes were wet, and her mouth hanging open in despair._

_A wicked laugh, something she hadn't heard before coming from Coralie. It was startling, like a demon's punishment. "Oh Persephone, sweet foolish Persephone…" Suddenly, she felt fingers running through her hair, over her scalp. "You think this is a nightmare?"_

" _But…"_

" _I was a witch, and you turned me to stone, and smashed me, and I saw it all, such an unnatural death. You never consecrated me, and I was never put to rest. Just piece of rock to be swept up, and discarded." Persephone felt hot breath by her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I have been watching you."_

_She stopped._

" _We all have."_

" _You all have…"_

_Coralie's fingers disappeared, her hot breath gone. And Persephone was still draped in the darkness._

" _Yes! Finally, we've gotten through to you!" Someone suddenly shrieked, and she felt something stir inside of her, as she recognized sound, but couldn't quite place it._

" _It was so cold hearted of you to just leave Samuel like that." The shrieking female voice quickly turned composed, but mocking, and Persephone knew whom it was._

" _No, no,_ _ **no**_ _… Not you."_

" _Although, it's not like we really expected different from you anyway, remember when she tried to kill you Willow?" His voice was no different from what it had been 500 years ago. And that was what chilled Persephone to her bone._

" _Yes, ha, what a laugh that was." Willow giggled, and she could feel Isaac's smirk burn her back._

" _You are traitors." Persephone hissed with hot tears burning her eyes at the memory their spirits brought back up._

" _Traitors? Persephone, you are mistaken, right Willow?"_

" _Yes Isaac, very much mistaken, why sweet, you tried killing me." Her voice sounded scarily pitying. "What in the world made you think I would ever forgive you after that?" Cold sharp hands aggressively grabbed either side of Persephone's face, the nails digging into her skin, dragging downwards in a searing trail._

" _And then you rejected my advances. Now that," he abruptly seized her around the waist, arms tightening around her like a suffocating snake, Isaac continued, now whispering in Persephone's ear. "That was when you could've redeemed yourself. I mean, I've seen you prostitute yourself countless times since, whilst we've been watching you, I don't know why you couldn't of just opened your legs for me. It wounded my pride I'm afraid to say."_

" _So did your attack on me, I'm afraid to say."_

_She tried fighting his arms, and her hands off, but they only held tighter. "You're disgusting, both of you, you're dirt."_

_They both burst out laughing. "You're wrong sweet." Her nails cut into Persephone's cheeks, and she could feel blood being drawn. "Should I tell her, or you?"_

" _You do the honors darling sister."_

" _Okay, well, after you did your little disappearing act, and after Samuel was murdered, the hunters killed us as well. Something about, not holding up all of our deal, which you know, was your entire fault, because we were actually going to get immortality as witches in exchange for both of you." Persephone heard her sigh comically. "We, like your' friend' Coralie, who you killed, weren't consecrated, meaning no peace for us. So we are not dirt,_ _ **actually**_ _."_

" _We've been watching you this whole time. From the other side." Even though darkness still flooded her eyes, she could hear his smug smile. "And when that collapsed, and we were sent to where we reside now, where we can do what we want, go where we want, we have been planning."_

" _Where is Sam?" She blurted out stupidly. "You are here, because you are supernatural, so where is Sam? Can he come here and see me too? He's a gorgon, he must be here too." Persephone was grasping for straws, asking them, but she needed to talk to him, just one minute, just to hear his voice._

" _Maybe if you just…" One of Isaac's hands slithered down her side and the back of her jeans, to between her legs, his fingers feeling the sensitive skin, scraping against her roughly, he invaded Persephone's space. She tried for all she could to jerk away from his filth, but it was no use. "Redeem yourself now, better late than never, and we will tell you what happened to dear Samuel."_

_Oh god, what was this hell? His fingers squirmed within her, and Persephone's heart clutched. It was not what she wanted when she took those pills. She wanted peace of mind; she wanted weightless nothing, not that, that place. She felt tears brim her eyes, and fall down her cheeks._

" _Oh look, she's crying." They both laughed cruelly in unison. "Isaac, you're making her cry."_

" _It's just like that time she had sex with her boyfriend's brother!"_

" _Good lord!"_

" _Okay, okay, okay, I want to tell her."_

_There was a silence. "Okay Isaac, you can do it this time, because I got to do the last reveal."_

" _Oh Willow you are too kind."_

_He paused, moving his hand out from inside her, and still the tension and dread built up within Persephone._

" _Gorgons don't get peace."_

_She froze._

" _But they don't get what Willow and I have gotten either, which is hell if you were wondering. We are from hell." His lips rested beside her ear. "I've heard lots of different things about where your kind go, but the most common is this kind of supernatural limbo."_

" _No…"_

" _Yes," his voice was mocking and harsh. "Darkness forever. Silence forever. Isolation forever. It is quite literally nothing."_

_She swallowed thickly._

" _The only way for them to escape and find what they would call 'peace', is for the last gorgon to die… For you, to die. So, to answer your question. No, Samuel can't come here and see you, and neither can your 'Mama'. "_

_In that moment, she swore she could hear her heart break._

" _Because they are both, stuck in an inescapable nothing, until you die."_

_And they, their hands and voices, disappeared, leaving her in the suffocating darkness once again._

Persephone woke from the nightmare, sucking air into her dusty lungs and ripping the needle from her arm. Turning over the edge of the bed, she stuck she fingers down her throat, and dry retched the contents of her stomach out onto the carpet. Absolutely exhausted, she collapsed back onto the pillows. The moonlight streamed a spotlight through the window towards the center of the room.

Was that real?

No, no no no no no. It couldn't have been. _It couldn't_. It _had_ to be lies, nightmares.

Coralie and Willow and Isaac were dead. They were dead. They hadn't been in her dream, they were just hallucinations her drugged up mind had made up, because those things that she found out, those things that Willow and Isaac had said, they couldn't be true. Mama and Sam had to have found peace.

But then, Persephone felt a sharp sting between her legs and on her cheeks, and her skin started burning.

No…

Persephone's worst fears were confirmed when she found small bleeding cuts on her cheeks, and long raking scratches on her inner thighs.

And she realized that they were watching her right in that moment, probably laughing at _her_ inescapable nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review if you can, I really appreciate hearing what people are thinking of what is going on! Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you so much for reading. X
> 
> Next Chapter - This is in Rebekah's point of view. You will see an interaction between her and Persephone from the past, during their time on the ship to America. Then in present time, in Mystic Falls, Rebekah and Klaus will be visiting a certain someone's 'one true love'. Tension and bickering will occur between the two, Rebekah will watch on in incredulity, and Elijah will arrive to get them 'back on track'.
> 
>    
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	9. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

_Mid Atlantic Ocean - 1702_

_They were sitting in her bedroom when it happened. Rebekah was seated in an armchair with a novel in her hands, engrossed by the story that beheld her, so engrossed that she even forgot Persephone was there until she had actually finished the novel. Looking up from the last pages, Rebekah spotted her, sitting on the bay window, staring out to the ocean, huddled up, ever so quiet._

" _What are you doing?"_

_Was she just staring out the window the whole time Rebekah was reading? She must've been reading for hours and hours on end, the sun was setting for god's sake! But Persephone didn't even move to look at the blonde across the room, her eyes still glued to the window. "I'm just looking." She muttered softly._

_Rebekah scoffed and gestured out to the view. "At what? All there is to see is miles and miles of water and waves, nothing interesting. I don't understand how you can do such meager things for so long, you should read something, what kind of things do you-"_

_And Persephone suddenly turned her head sharply, her eyes piercing through Rebekah, causing her to stop mid-sentence. "Why do you always have to question everything I do?" She hissed sourly._

_Rebekah hesitated, seeing she had struck a nerve. "I guess it's just because…" She started, but trailed off, as she thought more and more about Persephone's words. And she was right, Rebekah_ _**did** _ _always question her about things she did. Like every time she went to bed particularly early or why she chose a certain meal over another or a one dull dress instead of prettier one. Simple, simple actions and decisions she always questioned Persephone about._

_But then there were other; more complicated things Rebekah had never pursued, like questions of her past, her family and friends, questions about Kol. Things she never liked talking about. Things she always avoided talking about. And Rebekah never questioned her on it. Persephone was one of her first true friends, and those months on board had allowed her to grow closer to her than any one she had ever truly befriended. But Rebekah didn't actually_ _**know** _ _anything about her, only of what she was and why she was running, but other than that basic, necessary information, nothing more. And she never questioned Persephone on those other, deeper things._

_She was practically Rebekah's sister-in-law, she was there for a reason, Kol must've truly felt something for her that was stronger than anything else he had ever experienced before for Elijah, or even Nik, to consider allowing her to join them in their journey. Rebekah had never heard of her before, but she would admit that during their time apart, wherein Kol was rampaging around, and Elijah, Nik, and she had separated from him; Rebekah hadn't kept in close contact with him, having told herself that it was too difficult, too hard to try and locate him to even send a letter._

_But she was just lazy, and lying to herself. Elijah did it, clearly, as he seemed to know a lot about Kol and Persephone's relationship, more than any of them. Shockingly, Kol must've shared it with Elijah during their time of contact._ _**That** _ _in particular, assured Rebekah that Kol really must've loved her._

_Because he had never done that before._

_He had never really shared to his siblings anything about any of his relationships, his women. They all knew he had them, ladies who fainted in his footsteps, but he never seemed to pay any true mind to them, therefore Nik, Elijah, and Rebekah hadn't. They had met them, the few that hung around for longer than the others, but on singular occasions._

_The fact that Kol had told Elijah about the girl, Persephone, told Rebekah indirectly, that it was real. Kol and Elijah weren't close, and she knew he wouldn't have told their elder brother about anyone whom he didn't feel strongly about._

_In love, or hate. And she knew it certainly wasn't the latter._

_However, it was… odd, the way that Persephone never spoke of him. At the utter of his name it seemed she paled to snow, she seemed to jump out of her skin, loose her voice, she seemed to… die. Rebekah thought it was completely unfathomable that she didn't ever want to talk about him. Yet Elijah had told her that Persephone had been through many atrocities in her life, and it was good to remain cautious about the topics they brought up around her, and that they were never to broach topics that she seemed uncomfortable with._

_Rebekah had asked Elijah about why she was 'uncomfortable' with speaking about Kol, about her love. Yet he just said that she disliked the way in which they had daggered him, and insisted to keep him in the coffin the whole trip. Therefore Rebekah could sympathize about why she felt uncomfortable talking about him to the people who were keeping him on lockdown, but Rebekah also knew why un-daggering him was not possible. Kol was completely unpredictable, and it was too much of a risk to wake him whilst they were miles in the middle of the ocean, with no where to run to. He probably would burn the whole ship down._

_Despite this, she knew Persephone must've missed him._

_However, she knew that sometimes when you were in emotional pain, it was good to speak, to let it out. Sharing your burdens with someone else could be a relief. Rebekah wanted to help her, even though she didn't seen to want anything of the sorts._

_She just needed a little push._

" _I don't really know anything about you, at all." Rebekah continued gently, and at this she watched as Persephone's face shuttered over, as it did every time she accidently brought things up like this. But it wasn't accidental this time. And she wasn't going to brush it off like she had all those other times. She wanted to hear from her, about her. Not only for herself, but Persephone's sake too. "And every time I, or Elijah or, hell, even Nik brings up anything remotely personal you brush it off. And we don't question it. So instead I ask about the little things, things I know you actually will answer, maybe in a paltry attempt to learn something about you."_

_She was quiet, staring heavily at Rebekah._

" _We hit land in a few days, and it has just occurred to me that I don't know anything about you!" And Rebekah heard her voice jump at the end of the sentence, her emotion getting in the way of her rationality, as it did sometimes. "I have told you so much about myself, about my hell of turning and having to run from my father for the whole of my life, my great loves like Alexander and Claude, about me losing my humanity. You are my best friend, my only friend, and you know every intricate detail about my life, but I know nothing of yours."_

_Persephone's mouth opened and shut a few times, and Rebekah watched her eyes look away from her, stare back out the window, and her mind work through everything she had just been told, Rebekah's outburst. "You don't understand, Rebekah."_

_That hurt, like a punch to her gut. She let it show. "No, Persephone, you don't understand. I trusted you, I told you everything, of my pain and suffering. You don't understand how much it hurt to bring those things back up, but I told you because I wanted you to know, because I trust you." She stopped, gulping hopeless air into her lungs. "But you can't even trust me enough to tell me anything…"_

_Persephone shut her eyes._

" _To tell me of your relationship with Kol."_

_With the mention of his name, her eyes slowly blinked open, and she turned to face Rebekah. Something startled her in the way Persephone looked, the expression on her face, it was something she had never seen painted across her features before, it almost looked, defeated. Rebekah stayed silent. A rueful smile came upon her lips, and Persephone gazed at her with wet eyes. "When I first met Kol, it was in a tavern. He advanced towards me first, an aura of cockiness and arrogance, or what some people would call, an aura of 'Kolness' surrounding him. I told him in more complicated ways to 'go fuck off', and he told me and I quote, that he liked 'pretty little things with sharp tongues.'"_

_They both giggled with each other, for the first time in what felt forever._

" _To cut a long story short, he kidnapped me, locked me up, I tried escaping, the hunters chose that exact moment to show up, he saved me, kidnapped me, locked me up, I tried escaping and he convinced me to stay because he said he wanted to help me because he happened to 'like living'. I asked him how he could help me when I had tried so many other times with failure, I asked him what difference he would make. Do you know what he said?"_

_Rebekah bit back a smile. "I think I can take a guess."_

_Persephone tipped her head back, and laughed. "He said, 'But in those times did you have Kol Mikaelson, the original vampire, with you?' Smirking and all. I accepted, I don't really know why, maybe because I respected the way he was so determined and…"_

" _Stubborn." The blonde added in, causing Persephone to chuckle a little, giving her a knowing look, she nodded to that._

" _We bonded, I talked to him about things, in a way I don't think I ever had anyone else. And him me as well." A watery smile came on to her face, and her eyes gleamed. "One night, it all got too much and… I don't know, I just… broke. And he did too, and we found that our random, jagged, unique edges fit with each other, like a one of a kind puzzle."_

_Never had Rebekah ever heard truer words spoken from some one's lips._

" _And we fell in l- I fell in love with him. Then of course, they found me and we had to flee, but it was different that time, I was sicker, for longer, and it wasn't going away. He told me why I was sick, and it made sense. And he left me, for a while, I didn't know what he was doing, he was gone for days." She paused. "And I felt better, abruptly and quickly. But I still waited for him, however when the air started smelling of smoke, everywhere, constantly, I went to look for him, knowing the risks. And I found him, amidst Klaus daggering him and Elijah arriving."_

_Rebekah sucked her breath in; she hadn't known that was how they had all met. She hadn't known anything._

" _I wanted to take the dagger out, and I screamed and I kicked and I finally got to him, I wrapped my hands around the handle…" Persephone let out an incredulous breath. "I didn't do it."_

_The look on her face, Rebekah had seen it before so many times, in the mirror. The broken stare and welled up eyes. The numb insides and the knot that tied itself in your throat every time they were brought up. The ache in your chest, even though you knew nothing was physically wrong, it felt so real, like your heart had been ripped in two and someone had taken a half with them, leaving you partial to the person you had been before them. You were alone again. "Persephone, I swear on my own life, that I will undagger Kol the minute we reach land. You will be together again, I swear, you won't be without him but for a couple more days."_

_She just stared at nothing, an unreadable expression on her face._

" _Everyone deserves love, especially you, and especially Kol, who I will admit first hand, hasn't gotten the kind of love that he needed so desperately. I know that he will have- he does have that with you." Rebekah could feel the love she had for him radiating off her, like a warm glow, as she talked about him. She had never seen that happen before, in all of her days. "You can be together. You love ea-"_

"- _No we don't."_

_Rebekah looked up to see her demeanor had completely changed. Her eyes now dry and devoid of any emotion, her posture upright and proper, and her eyebrows now raised in a faintly petulant stare. "What?"_

" _Kol doesn't love me."_

_That confused Rebekah. "But. But you said, that- you fit each other like a puzzle. I can see it so clearly, Persephone."_

_She remained quiet._

" _I know my brother, I can tell you belong together. He loves-"_

"- _Klaus told me everything." She cut in curtly. "I know Kol doesn't truly love me."_

_Rebekah snorted at this. It was accidental, but it suddenly made so much sense. "You're kidding right? Nik told you Kol doesn't love you? Hah, sorry but that is hilarious, and you believed him?" She was shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all. "Nik, he's my brother and I love him forever, but he is a manipulative, condescending, selfish, asshole who will do and say anything to better himself at the expense of others, including his siblings. You can't trust anything he says, he-"_

" _SHUT UP!" Persephone suddenly bellowed, boiling wrath taking over her, and it was startling. "It all makes sense! All he wanted to do was to better himself by finding out a way to stop my death. All the other stuff, was fake, I know it was, no one could love me like he did, it's not possible, knowing all the things I've done." She got quieter and quieter the more she spoke, a sadness washing over her._

_Lifting herself from her chair, Rebekah went over and crouched beside her. She needed her to hear, for her own good, and Kol's happiness. "Persephone, Kol is no angel, you know that, anything that you have done in the past is no worse than anything he has done, but it's in the past." She placed her hands on Persephone's arms and held her steady, forcing her to face Rebekah. "I believe that together, you and Kol can change what your future would be without each other, for the greater good."_

_She was so quiet, and they both were. In those moments that Rebekah waited for her to reply, she heard a crash of waves against the boat, women servants giggling down the hallway with each other, Nik pacing the room above them inevitably worrying about something that was nothing to do with him, Elijah trying to reason with him, and a twinkle of hope, that Persephone would understand what she had to say. Thus finally accepting the love she deserved, Kol's love, which Rebekah just_ _**knew** _ _she held; Kol had never told anyone of his true pain, not even his family, not even Rebekah, but he had told her, and that meant more than anyone could ever know._

_Abruptly standing, causing Rebekah to fall back in surprise, Persephone stormed over to the door and opened it, looking back to her._

" _Get out."_

_She felt a stab in her heart. "What? No, you must-"_

" _Get out of my room, with your dirty mouth of lies, you know nothing of me. And you know nothing of Kol."_

_Swallowing and blinking back stinging tears, Rebekah walked towards the door that she held open, feeling the hope crush beneath her heel. She stopped at the doorway and turned to her, clearing her throat. "We are to hit land in days."_

" _Leave now."_

" _If I leave now, our friendship will be forever ruined."_

_Rebekah swore she could see Persephone's yellow eyes darken to red with rage. "Rebekah…" She started to hiss._

_But she was interrupted. "I will leave, but not without a few words of redemption." She steadied her wavering nerves. "When we arrive, I will undagger Kol, not because I want to, but because you, and he, needs me to. Because I know, you two are forever. You mustn't be afraid of love…"_

" _Kol may've told me many lies, hell, maybe even everything he ever said was lies, but why don't I find out!" Through gritted teeth, Persephone rushed forward so she was standing inches away from Rebekah's face, and she flinched away out the doorway, but Persephone grabbed the blonde who had angered her so much between her sharp hands, and dug her nails into her flesh. "Kol told me that you don't love him, he told me that you left him alone, with nothing. You isolated him; you alienated him to the point that he didn't even feel like a Mikaelson anymore. Time and time again you have sold him out, left him to dirt. You, and Elijah, and Klaus. You still try to contest that you love him, that he is your brother, 'always and forever'."_

_Rebekah stilled, bile rising up her throat, because she knew that what Persephone was saying was the truth. It shouldn't have been shocking, the words she was saying, because Rebekah knew Kol had always resented them, Nik and Elijah and herself, for distancing their selves away from his recklessness. Yet, the words were still like bolts of lighting to her core._

" _Don't pretend you love him and care about him and his happiness, Rebekah Mikaelson, because I'm no fool. You don't treat family like that. Every little thing you do, to try and convince anyone, me, even yourself, that you love Kol, is to make_ _ **you**_ _feel better about the shitty way you have treated him." Persephone continued on, her eyes narrowing and her words getting more and more livid. "Stop trying to prove to me that you love Kol and want happiness for him, because even I can tell that you're struggling to convince yourself. You're a lying, selfish, vain, awful person. He told me you feel nothing of love, and in fact, he thinks you feel the exact opposite towards him. Hate. I can see now, you hate-"_

_And Rebekah tore herself away from Persephone's touch, and through her spiteful words. Quickly, she found her fingers to be wrapping themselves around the soft skin of Persephone's neck, and enclosing, maneuvering, and shoving her hard against the wall. She could feel the muscles in her throat pulsate against her palm, and even though Rebekah knew she didn't breathe, she knew that it would still hurt. Persephone needed to feel the physical equivalent of hurt to what her words just caused Rebekah. Stuck under the grasp of her, she watched, and waited for fear to erupt in Persephone's eyes. She waited for tears to prick her eyes in the pain, and for her to start helplessly fighting against Rebekah, to plead for her to let go, to apologize._

_But she didn't._

_Instead of the predictable fear that Rebekah waited to fall into place across her features, she saw Persephone's lips tear across her face into a cheek splitting smile. And she laughed, and laughed and laughed and laughed. It was like the sound of sword against sword, the sound of people screaming in utter agony, the sound of death itself._

" _Did… I hurt… your feelings?" She whispered shakily between laughs, her voice scratchy, and her eyes wide in amusement. "Well now I… know Kol was being… honest about… something."_

_Rebekah tightened her fingers till she could feel little bones in Persephone's neck snap and crack, still saying nothing for she just wanted to focus on hurting her._

_Her lips remained in a painfully wide grin, and her giggles were ongoing, despite sounding tighter. Rebekah stared her down, and she right back at her, challenging. "This'll bruise… If you want… to really hurt me… go for the ribs… They give me… shit when… I… want to sleep." Choking out the words, Persephone's hands grabbed at Rebekah's, and pulled one down from her throat. With her eyes gleaming in sick amusement, Rebekah watched as she balled the fingers of her hand into a fist, and readied it at her side. "Pretend I'm Kol."_

_And… Rebekah didn't even remember doing it, pulling her fist back and smashing it against Persephone. But she remembered feeling them snap under her knuckles, she remembered her falling to the floor like dead weight, she remembered feeling the tear that trailed its way down her cheek. She looked down on Persephone, as she laid crumpled on the floor, heaving blood onto the floor, her eyes watering in pain, and her lips still frozen in that sick smile._

_For her words, for her ruining our friendship, for her refusing to feel, for her not listening, Rebekah knew she should've felt hatred towards her, but she didn't. Because as she stood, staring down at Persephone, she realized that what she truly felt for her, aside from the anger, was pity._

_She looked pathetic._

_And Rebekah couldn't hate her; she couldn't hate the one that she_ _**knew** _ _would break her brother's heart._

Rebekah pushed the thought of whatever Kol was doing in that moment out of her mind. He was meant to be in Miami. He wasn't. He was meant to be kept in the dark about Persephone. He wasn't. Rebekah just _knew_ they should've had Marcel privy to the circumstances, but Nik deemed it too dangerous, for some stupid reason. And now that had blown up in their faces. But now Marcel knew the danger that Kol was to everything, and would act accordingly to stop him. She knew that. She just did. With Elijah having contacted Hayley to keep an eye out and close guard, there was nothing more they could do but hope Kol didn't destroy everything.

She had other things to focus on anyway. They needed to deal with the issue that had their priority, Persephone.

"Niklaus, I really don't see why we are entering a university campus." Elijah asked, confusion lacing his tone.

Rebekah just scoffed. "Wow Elijah, for the smart one, you sure can be oblivious." She leaned forward between the seats and placed her hands on both of their shoulders. "Nik, wants to see his true love again, even though she told him to piss off last time."

"She did not tell me to piss of." Nik snapped back, violently shrugging away from her touch, causing them to veer in the lane.

"Caroline." Elijah said curtly.

"Yes!" Rebekah rejoiced. "Now, instead of wasting time on a bloody lost cause - sorry Nik - why don't we focus on what's important; finding the Bennett witch."

The crunch of gravel under the tires and the change of surroundings from trees and shrubbery to cars and buildings indicated that they had just driven into the parking lot of the dormitory house. That was when she knew they were too close to her to turn back, or at least, Nik was. "I agree with Rebekah, we need to push on Niklaus, we haven't the time to waste on hopeless attempts to renew lost love." Elijah attempted softly.

As the tires screeched and they stopped, Nik unbuckled his seat belt and looked to both of them, annoyance evident on his face. "If you had any brain cells within that dense skull of yours, little sister, you would see that Caroline is Bonnie's best friend, and considering her other friend is in some spell induced coma, she is our only option to finding the Bennett witch in reasonable time."

Rebekah rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt to justify visiting Caroline. It made sense, but Nik could think very well on his toes, and he knew and she knew and maybe Elijah knew that he just made that all up on the spot.

"But please, by all means, drop me off here and you go search for her, see which method works out quickest." Nik suggested condescendingly. But before either of the other two could reply, he was already out the car, slamming the door, on the way to the entrance.

Elijah looked to Rebekah, calculating what he had just said. "Maybe Niklaus is correct, we would be covering double the ground if we went out driving for her as well."

She faux-pondered for a moment. "Okay, well you can do that, I'll join Nik though; someone has to make sure he doesn't spend the whole day with Caroline."

And she was out the car and through the dorm before Elijah could even disagree.

Walking though the doorway, she came to find him hugging a reluctant looking Caroline by his side. "Oh come on!" She exclaimed as she saw Rebekah saunter through. "She's here to?"

"And Elijah, but I see our brother didn't join us, he must've taken my suggestion to drive around and cover more ground. Splendid idea." He nodded to his sister and turned back to look at Caroline fondly. "We will find her either way, love."

"I am not betraying Bonnie so you can go harass her, we have all been through enough as it is." She sniffed, scrunching up her nose and crossing her arms. Rebekah rolled her eyes at Caroline's obvious sentiment about Elena; she wasn't _that_ special, and you just have to get over these losses. She wasn't even _dead._

"Oh come on darling, we just need to speak to the Bennett witch, it's important. Just tell us where she is." Nik said light heartedly to Caroline, a wide smile breaking out onto his face as he held her by his side.

She didn't say anything, but she didn't move away either.

"Nik, come one, I think we might have to take some further action to get her talking." Rebekah was getting very bored, very quickly, and she just wanted to find what they needed, and leave the most depressing town on Earth.

Giving her a displeased glance, Nik spoke, "Now, now sister, I think that Caroline can and will help us, she knows exactly where Bonnie is, I can assure you she will tell us." He looked down to Caroline and leaned his head against hers.

Sitting down in a huff on the end of her bed, Rebekah watched as Caroline struggled out of his grasp, her a blush over taking her fair skin. She looked stressed. "I am _not_ telling you where Bonnie is, I know you'll injure her or something and she hates you, I'm not handing her over to you. Okay Klaus, listen to Rebekah and leave us alone!" She stomped over to the fireplace and crossed her arms, turning her back on him. But with Nik, her hatred of him only made him love her more.

Rebekah rolled her eyes as he casually sauntered over to her, knowing they were tight for time. "I'm surprised you haven't visited me in New Orleans yet, my door is always open when it comes to you. But you know what they say, 'Distance makes the heart the heart grow fonder…'" He arrogantly leaned against the wall, and smirked at her. "But come on sweetheart, you even said yourself, _you_ see the good in me. I know you do, we have a connection."

She viciously stepped forward to him, poking her finger in his chest. "And _you_ said you would never come back to bother me again, but I guess we both lied about a few things!" She yelled shrilly. Rebekah could see this took him aback. But instead of sulking off like he normally did, he stepped forward, his face darkening.

"Don't you dare try and take that back now Caroline, you and I both know that what you said that day, what we did that day, was real. It was genuine." He leaned his head down to her face, their lips wisps away from each other, challenging.

"Or maybe, I just pretended that day to get you off my back for the rest of my immortal life. Did you ever think of that Klaus?" Caroline hissed, but stayed with her face inches from his. Their bodies were pressed up against each other's and Rebekah could tell they had completely forgotten she was in the room.

She could also tell neither was going to back down, they were waiting for the other one to first. They were equally stubborn.

It was the most frustrating display I had ever seen, especially because there were more urgent matters to attend to.

"Lies, all of them, lies. You can't deny us; you just don't want to admit that you might have feelings for me, the psychotic killer hybrid. But you do Caroline; I can feel it. The attraction, your attraction towards me." Nik uttered, lifting his hand to brush away a strand of hair from her face.

Rebekah could see Caroline clench her jaw. "Maybe it's all in your imagination. I mean, even you yourself admitted you're psychotic; maybe it's all an illusion. The truth obviously can't get through your thick dense-"

"ENOUGH!" Rebekah bellowed without realizing. "I can't deal with watching you two, I mean look! Look at yourselves." She shot up, crossing her arms.

They both backed away from each other, sheepishly, and it was almost comical if Rebekah hadn't been so irritated. It was strange to see Niklaus look sheepish, but she definitely wanted to soak it in before his arrogant 'the might hybrid' persona came back. So Rebekah carried on.

" _Nik_ , you are just so desperate for her affection that it is borderline irrational, and certainly not something I would imagine the 'Wolf King' doing." She turned to Caroline, revelling in being able to shout at him without any retorts. "And _you_ , Caroline, insist that you despise him and want him out of your life, yet seem to drag out arguing with him, even though it would be easier and faster to just say whatever he wants you to say, and get him out!"

The were both frozen.

"It's pitiful really, both of you. Your relationship truly is tragic."

Seeming to regain her composure, Caroline shrugged her shoulders and stared out the window, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah well he started it." She muttered.

"Oh wow, darling. Real mature, blaming it all on me when you know that it was both of us." Nik seethed, regaining his usual sulk whenever things didn't go his way.

Caroline shot him a wild look and they started quarrelling between each other, once again forgetting they were in dire circumstances. Sighing, Rebekah fell back onto the bed. She heard the door of the dorm open, and glanced back to see Elijah stepping in. She stared at him pointedly, and then back to the squabbling couple, and then back at him again. He gave her a knowing look.

"Children please." Elijah began wearily. "We have more important things to sort out than your petty little arguments."

"'Children please'!?" Nik roared storming forward, tearing his eyes away from Caroline who was still by the window looking confused and embarrassed. "Is that your new favorite catch line? Do I, the original hybrid, look like a child to you?!" He shoved Elijah back, and ripped out of the room in a riled up anger.

Rebekah watched the exchange, tired, and rubbed her face; they had to run after _both_ Bonnie Bennett and a tender, enraged Niklaus whose pride was wounded. She wished it were Kol there instead of her; at least he wanted to be included in those things, and if he had were there, he wouldn't have found out about Persephone. Rubbing the crick in her neck, Rebekah stood up and walked past an appalled looking Elijah, toward Caroline.

She looked up and backed away, fearfully. "Don't you come near me, I've had enough Mikaelson action for one day." She objected, her eyes widening.

Sneering at this, Rebekah stepped forward and grabbed her head, forcing Caroline to look her in the eyes. "Tell me where the Bennett witch is."

Rebekah watched as her eyes blanked and she stiffly responded. "She's at the Salvatore boarding house."

Smiling at this, Rebekah patted her head. "See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" She strolled past Elijah and out the door. "To the Salvatore house it is then." She announced, smug that she had gotten her way.

She could hear Elijah curtly follow, stepping into pace next to her. "Niklaus is going to kill you if he ever finds out you compelled his one true love."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Elijah, these might be our last days if we don't find the Bennett witch, I don't give a bloody damn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the next chapter should be out in a few days, it just needs some tweaking. Please review if you can, readers thoughts really matter to me! Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you for reading. X
> 
> Next Chapter - Half of the chapter is from Elijah's viewpoint, where there is a flashback to a past event with him and Persephone, and you get a sense of their relationship. In the present time, they will retrieve a wounded Klaus from wherever he has fled to.
> 
> The other half is from Bonnie's point of view, where you hear about what has happened in Mystic Falls (set a few months after the slightly altered events of season 6). The Mikaelsons will pay her a visit, and that will play out.
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	10. Our Doubts Are Traitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit: The chapter title is taken from the quote by William Shakespeare, "Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."

_Coast Of Louisiana - 1702_

" _What is on your mind Miss Demetriou, if I may ask you?"_

_She was leaning against the railing on the ship, her body arched over, the scarf tied tightly around her neck blowing in the wind, and her face looking down below at the crashing crystal waves. Inmates ran around the deck, yelling and cursing, but it was as though she could hear none of it, only the sound of the sea in its entirety._

_Elijah could tell she was deep in thought, something that he saw very much but never dared to ask about about. However, over the past months, he had come to care for her as he would a sister. All in all, he just wanted to see what she planned on doing once they arrived in the America._

_She stood straight and away from the rail, and her facial expression changed immediately as she turned to him, from one of whimsical thinking to a sarcastic smirk, her eyes rolling in their sockets, something she must have adopted from Rebekah. "Elijah, we have been confined to one ship together for almost a year, when will you start calling me Persephone?"_

_He smiled slightly at her objection to formalities. "Okay,_ _**Persephone** _ _," She laughed softly but Elijah saw her face falter, the smile not quite reaching her eyes. "What is on your mind, if I may ask?"_

_She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, as if to warm herself up from a non-existent chill, the coldest thing was the sprinkles of sea water that splashed over the deck every once in a while. "Nothing really, just… You know, worrying about things, settling in and down, that kind of stuff." But her eyes held back more than she was saying._

" _You are more than welcome to house with us during the mean time," Elijah hesitated, unsure of whether to bring up the topic of him or not, seeing as it was a raw wound to poke into. "Kol, should be able to be awoken, if, Niklaus sees it right."_

_Her eyes hardened, and her lips turned from a loose wistful smile to a tense frown, her hands squeezed into fists by her sides and he noticed that she was swallowing repeatedly, struggling for words._

_Elijah stepped closer to her unmoving figure, the ship rocking, and her stance stiff and rigid. She looked away and back to the water. "The Mikaelson family will forever owe you for keeping Kol daggered and the emotional sacrifice that must have-"_

" _Yep." She interrupted, her voice coiled and coarse. "Thanks, Elijah, but I don't think any of that will be necessary." The end of her nose twitched faintly and every time she blinked he could see she shut her eyes tight, for just moment longer than normal, as if to will away past memories that undoubtedly plagued her mind – Elijah could relate to the action._

_In that moment he decided that it was then or never to broach the subject that they had all avoided over the course of the months. "Kol loved you very much."_

_She shut her eyes._

" _You may think that I have no means to know of such, but I do." Elijah watched her jaw clench and he could hear her grind her teeth, trying to control herself. "Kol wrote to me many, many times. He wrote of you with such intense passion that it certainly takes more than Kol's past and general personality to convince me otherwise. "_

_Persephone said nothing, but he wasn't going to stop._

" _Kol, he is my brother, and I love him very much, but I will admit that Rebekah, Niklaus, and I have not done much to show him the parts of our hearts that he holds. That made him cold, vain, ruthless, sadistic, and gave him all the worst kind of qualities a being can have." All that Elijah was saying was true, he didn't need to sugar coat it because he was saying what he believed was right. "He met you and I think, I'm not sure, but something within you changed him, changed the way he viewed the world. You became his humanity. You said you were sick, and Kol left, and while Niklaus thinks that he was getting his fix of blood before he 'abandoned' you, I believe that he couldn't stand the thought of loosing you."_

_Her fists were tight by her sides, her knuckles white. Elijah said his words carefully now._

" _He had nothing before you, and then he had everything. So when you got sick, sicker than you had ever been before, as you said, he acted out because he couldn't take the thought of being without you." It was strange for Elijah. Saying the words, analyzing the situation that he knew hardly anything about, basing everything he was voicing on assumptions about her, and those letters Kol wrote._

_Kol had never written him before._

_Elijah had to him, but he had never replied, as they had never been very close, so when he finally did, and with what he wrote, nonetheless, Elijah was shocked. But it was a pleasant kind of shock, because he knew that the brother he had before being turned was slowly coming back to them._

" _He said he knew why I was sick, and that he was going to make it better." She whispered quietly, grasping at the fabric of her dress. "He said…"_

_And Elijah stepped closer, laying a gentle hand upon her. "I see so much of him in you, and I believe that you are truly his first pure love, and I don't think you, or he, can ever find someone who loves them as much as you clearly do each other._

" _What Niklaus said to you that day, was merely a diversion tactic, one of many he has used to fend off anyone who gets in the way of his plans, and unfortunately you did his. Although some of what he said was true, I refuse to believe that Kol never felt anything for you. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have stayed with you for as long as he did."_

_She slowly turned her head to look Elijah in the eyes, an unreadable expression on her face, something he knew she had mastered over her many centuries of tough living. "You said Kol was cold, vain, ruthless, sadistic, and had the worst kind of qualities a being can have." Her words were calculated but her comment random._

_Elijah nodded slowly, waiting to see where she was going with it._

" _You also said you see much of him in me." She looked away, now an appearance of indifference painting her face. "Maybe a correct assumption."_

_His stomach dropped, as it seemed most of his words had been ignored. "No Persephone, you are taking my words out of context, I don't think you are any of those-"_

"- _Then you are a very stupid man." Interrupting his grasp at words, her voice was cool and she stood straight, turning around to walk away._

" _I know that you have had a terrible life." Elijah called out, in one last attempt to get through to her, for Kol's and her own sakes. "I know you have lost many loved ones and have been betrayed countless times." Her footsteps faltered. "I know that the dark side has beckoned you, and I know the pull you feel towards it, the pull to be alone and numb."_

_Slow and unblinking, her eyes met his from afar._

" _Kol, he is much the same, having spent the majority of his life doing whatever he pleases and without reaping the consequences." Elijah walked towards her. "He has never cared for anyone in his life as I think he has you. Please, please, Persephone, stay for him."_

" _Oh Elijah, you pride yourself on being the rational one of the family, yet you are just as much of a hopeless romantic as Rebekah is." Her tone was patronizing. "Please, please, just let me explain something to you, something you can pass on to your other family members before they try and give me a big speech about it all, okay?"_

_Elijah swallowed thickly; knowing that what would be said next wasn't going to be what he wanted._

" _Kol never loved me. You are all kidding yourselves if you believed he did." Slow words, as if she was trying to drill the idea into Elijah's head. "He_ _ **loved**_ _, the idea of loving me, but realistically, he just wanted to make sure I didn't die, or figure out a way to break the connection between my life and the lives of all other supernaturals."_

_She crossed her arms, and he watched her close herself up._

" _Hell, he probably just wanted to make sure he didn't die, and if keeping me safe by all means was that, then I'm sure that his small, daggered coma was a small price to pay for his eternal life._

" _When we dock in a few hours, you will never see me again, nor will Rebekah, or Klaus, or Kol. So get out of your fantasy land where Kol and I have some sort of 'happy ending' together and bring yourself back to the real world." She stepped forward, her gold eyes burning into Elijah's. "Kol never loved me, and I never loved him."_

_Her teeth were bared, her chin jutting out, and her hands fisted by her sides, and he knew that he shouldn't have broached the subject in the first place. "I respect your decision." Elijah replied curtly, decidedly leaving out the fact that he still didn't agree with it._

_Persephone stepped back, and licked her lips. Elijah heard the crack of the broken ribs in her side as she held at the area. "That is all I can ask for."_

Rebekah drumming her fingers against the armrest beside broke Elijah from his thoughts, and she looked to him impatiently. "We shouldn't be wasting time searching for Nik, we should be finding the Bennett witch for Persephone." Rebekah spat out, finally.

Keeping his patience as he always did, Elijah took a turn at the Mystic Grill and parked. "Rebekah, the longer it takes for us to find him, the angrier he will be when we do so. We need to find him quickly, stroke his ego, and he'll join us. " He answered reasonably. "We need to appease him _now_." He added, straightening his tie, and running a hand through his hair so it was in place.

He heard Rebekah scoff at this and could feel her signature eye roll as she got out of the car. They walked into the restaurant side by side. The scent of musk, and alcohol clouded the air thickly and invaded Elijah's nose the minute they entered. He had always detested that place.

Immediately, they spotted Niklaus by the bar, a glass in his hand and a bottle of whiskey nearby. Thankful that they had gotten to him early, before he would descend into a murderous rage, they made their way over to him, however since it was Elijah he was mad with, Rebekah did most of the talking, knowing it was the only way they would get anywhere with him.

"Nik, I'm sorry about what happened before, but come on, we need you to help us with the witch, we found out where she is." Rebekah placed her hand on his forearm gently but all Niklaus did was recoil in a childish anger, spilling his glass' contents slightly.

"Why would you need a child's help anyway?" He seethed, the venomous words directed straight at Elijah, as if Rebekah wasn't even there.

But he said nothing, knowing that if he did, it would only make Niklaus angrier. "Now come on Nik, you want to prove Elijah wrong, we all know you're not a child. If you were, we wouldn't need _your_ help with the Bennett witch. We came all this way to find out more for Persephone. Only you can do it." Rebekah cooed, patting his shoulder, saying all the right things, even though they all knew the only reason he came was to see Caroline.

" _Fine_ , I'll come, but because only I can do it." He hissed, tossing his glass down and standing up, completely ignoring his elder brother and walking off with Rebekah.

It always irked Elijah, the complex Niklaus had, and it was something Kol, too, possessed. In some ways, he believed, or 'knew', he was superior to everyone around him, that somehow his life was better than everyone else's. But then, there were split moments where offhand comments or little things anyone said, would bring up inferiority within them wherein they felt no one wanted them. It was so contradictory, and that was something that made both so reckless and unpredictable.

Something that Elijah was always surprisingly pleased by was the certain people who found the good in them, and those people were normally the ones who then and therefore received their love. Niklaus, he was so infatuated with Caroline, no one really knew why her when he had known millions before her, but she was one of the rare people that he loved wholly and fully just because. And she, although reluctantly and regrettably for her, could see the good within him, she had seen and heard of his purest moments, and because of that, she was his stars.

Caroline was almost like Kol's Persephone.

Except _she_ was more complicated.

When she had her last chance, her chance to stay, she held back a part of herself, stopped herself from being happy and therefore inhibiting Kol's chance of what could've been his happy ending, whether his happy ending now is the same as it was, no one could know. Elijah didn't really understand why she refused to believe he loved her, she refused to even see, maybe because she had been through so much throughout her life she believed that she didn't deserve happiness because the opposite had followed her for so long. However Elijah, and anyone else, had no clue.

And it had to be one of the saddest things in the world.

Did he know if Kol loved Persephone?

No.

No one could've really known but for Kol himself, and in that moment, when it mattered, he wasn't there. Elijah believed that Kol did love her, because he had read those letters, those words that he would've never have thought that Kol would pen himself yet it was his signature at the end of every page.

Rebekah believed that Kol did love her, because although none of us had ever been very close to him, Rebekah knew him best. She deemed Persephone to be the love of Kol's life, and that was that.

Niklaus believed that Kol was unable to ever love anyone; he believed that the moment Kol shut off his humanity for the first time that he lost it forever. So fervidly, Niklaus thought that Kol was lost forever, that he must have instilled that opinion in Persephone's mind. It had only been a few moments, in the middle of the fiery building in that Spanish town, but I myself knew that only a few of Niklaus' words could have the ability to make you question your whole existence.

It had been enough, all that he had said, was enough to tear everything down.

The question was why did he do it?

Why did he destroy Kol's chance at happiness, redemption?

Elijah knew that it was absolutely paramount that they stopped Persephone from taking the dagger out of Kol, because they both knew the risk Kol was, to everything. They needed to do something drastic to get her to stop, otherwise Elijah knew, they all knew, that Kol awake would've been the end of them.

Yet Niklaus took it too far with his words. Farther than was necessary to get the job done. Elijah knew he should've stopped him before he said something unforgivable, he knew he shouldn't have even let him get started with his deceitful stories, but he did.

And by the time Elijah finally did stop him; the damage was done.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They were all absolutely shit at taking in what was right in front of them.

Their feelings.

After the wedding, Bonnie decided to withdraw from Whitmore for a year; it was probably a bad idea for her education, but a good one for her well-being. Ever since, she had been living at the Salvatore residence, primarily because she had nowhere else to go, not because she was lonely. Even if she was, no one was really talking to her no matter where she lived.

Damon had disappeared a few weeks after Elena's coma. He just took off, with no warning or any info about where he was going. After the months in the prison world, Bonnie and him had become so close, but now, after he had to pick between Elena and her, Bonnie thought that killed him a little inside. She thought every moment he spent with her reminded him of the fact that it could be Elena he was with, and that the only reason she wasn't was because of him.

But Bonnie missed him. A lot, and it hurt her heart. She didn't even know if she'd see him before she'd die of old age, or die of anything. Vampires were always notorious for leaving for centuries at a time, but the concept of not ever seeing Damon again really hurt. So she tried blocking it out.

Even so, she missed her best friend, she missed her best _friends_.

Matt had moved halfway across the country to San Francisco, to go live with his aunt. Bonnie messaged him a few times, and he replied, for a bit. He had transferred from his police academy to there; he was seeing someone, a human, Penny. He sent Bonnie a few photos, told her some stories, asked how she was.

' _It's nice to have some normalcy in my life, Bon. You should try it some time.'_

That was the last she had heard of him, two months ago.

And Tyler, she hadn't seen him since the wedding, hadn't talked. She bet he probably picked up Liv and ran. Bonnie understood that. Considering her sociopathic brother was alive and trying to kill them all, she could empathize about why he'd want to protect her.

Caroline completely withdrew from her. The blonde ram packed her schedule with parties, classes, clubs, meetings, outings, holidays, and all those kind of things so that not a minute of her time could be free to leave her thinking of anything, or to leave her any time to even speak to Bonnie. She had lost Elena, she had lost Damon and Matt and, hell, even Tyler, but Caroline, hers was the most confusing to Bonnie. After losing her mom, and coming back from shutting off her humanity, she would've thought that Caroline would've needed her and Stefan and everyone around her more than ever to recover, but she had stopped talking to them entirely, instead placing herself in a little social bubble of sleep, eat, work, party, repeat.

Stefan, he was around, Bonnie knew what happened to Elena had affected him more than he liked to admit. She didn't even know why he stayed in Mystic Falls; there was nothing for him there. And she asked him that, why he stayed. But it all made sense when he explained that he was waiting for Damon, the only person he had left. She knew that Stefan wanted to be in Mystic Falls for when Damon came back, and finally fell apart. They had never really been close, Stefan and Bonnie, but after both having to look after Kai in the cell, and living together in close quarters, they had gotten to know each other pretty well. Kind of like how Damon and her had become friends in the prison world. Forceful, but genuine, nevertheless.

The only people who ever really came around were Jo and Alaric. They were nice, but Bonnie didn't think they were ever really the same after what Kai did to their twins. Sometimes they'd stay for dinner or they'd have a conversation with her, but they would primarily go down to talk to Kai. She didn't know what they did down there. She didn't really want to know. Sometimes she heard sounds, terrifying sounds, but Bonnie ignored it every single time.

They all had their own ways of handling what they had left after everything that had happened.

Bonnie, of course, had her own method of coping; mainly looking up spells to unlink her and Elena, and grilling Kai to get him to tell her. But it all ended the same. Empty thoughts and trails; tear sodden pillows and a hollow feeling in her chest at the fact that she didn't think she'd ever be happy again after everything she'd lost. But every time Bonnie got up, she stopped myself from showing it; no one could ever see how much she was hurting, she had to be the strong one.

She was Bonnie Bennett; the giver; the helper; the savoir; the answer.

She was relaxing in the main room by the fireplace, going through her grimoires, lazily reading the same spells she had gone over a hundred times, blindly hoping to find some missing point that she hadn't seen before. That was when the door knocked. It was unusual; they didn't get many people coming around unannounced.

Getting up, Bonnie walked up to the door and opened it. Her eyes were assaulted with the sight of three Mikaelsons standing before her.

"Why if it isn't the Bennett witch here in the flesh." Klaus smirked, pursing his lips at the last word, causing little shivers to crawl down her spine. Bonnie had not missed it. She went to slam the door in their faces, however was soon stopped by a slender, pointy boot.

The door was cast open making her stumble backwards, which was when she realized that they had all been invited in previously. Rebekah was first, sauntering in like she owned the house. "Love what you've done with the place." She stopped and pointedly indicated to the living room. "Are those new sofas? I swear they're new sofas?" She stopped and rubbed her chin, pondering exaggerated in her manner.

"I think they're new sofas. Look at the color, they are definitely new sofas." Klaus concluded after a moment, putting his hands on his hips he strolled up to Bonnie, smiling widely. Rebekah came up behind her and put her hands on her shoulders. But the witch stood her ground; she couldn't show them she was afraid.

"Love the new haircut, by the way, very fashionable." Rebekah whispered in Bonnie's ear. She tensed, and stirred up the magic within her, waiting for the knife in her back, the fangs in her neck. But nothing came.

"That's enough you two. We came here for business, not to intimidate the poor girl." Elijah said, stepping into the house and smoothing out one of his suits. Bonnie had always found him the most tolerable. Rebekah and Klaus backed away reluctantly and rolled their eyes, in sync with one another. She was glad that they at least didn't seem to be there to torture her. "Ms. Bennett, I do apologize for intruding in on you and any personal matters, I recently heard from sources about what happened to Elena. My condolences, what a tragedy the whole situation was."

The sound of her name caused a cinching in Bonnie's heart and her breath to be caught in her throat, the mention of her name reminded her of Elena being gone. Sometimes she would forget her absence, obliviously telling herself that she was with Damon on some sort of trip. The fantasy was what kept her going sometimes. Bonnie nodded, keeping back her tears.

However she then heard Rebekah mutter "Good riddance bitch" under her breath and watched as Klaus smirked at this. A burst of anger exploded within her at their coarseness, how dare they? Bonnie simply twisted her wrist at them, causing the two to fall to their knees, clutching their heads, screaming. She could feel the grief and pain pour out from within her as she pushed harder and harder to hurt them more.

However it was cut short when Elijah grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

" _Enough_." He warned. They both fell to the floor with a thump, passing out. "I apologize for their rudeness. Please excuse me for a second." With that, he turned away curtly, grabbing both of their collars in his hands, he dragged their limp bodies out the door, and dropped them like trash bags. "Now that that's done with, they'll be out for another 15 minutes, that should be long enough. Please, let us sit."

Bonnie followed him into the sitting area and sat down on the lounge opposite him, making sure to keep her distance. Vampires were always unpredictable ticking time bombs, and you could never be too careful around one you didn't necessarily trust. "So, what is it you wanted? You came all the way up here from New Orleans to talk to me, so it must be something important for you guys to show your faces up here." It came out more bitter than she intended.

However, he lightly grinned at this. "Of course of course. Well, I won't bore you with any details, we haven't the time. I am looking to see if you have any tomes or volumes of Grecian myths?" He questioned, now completely serious.

The unusual question took Bonnie aback. "Um, I don't really know. Why would you ask me? Of all the people in the world."

"Well, I'm sure that you are aware that you are of Bennett blood, a very powerful and influential witch bloodline. I have met your ancestors, around the world in various countries, quite the nomads they were. I met one of them in Greece, 1355, her name was Chara Belen and she had traveled back to her ancestor's homeland, where she was originally from. She was a very talented witch whose expertise I had acquired. Now, from what I know, your bloodline had settled there for quite some time before they moved to another country. From the brief time that I knew Chara, I learnt that she was quite the hoarder, collecting every little artifact that she found. She was also an avid reader. Now, with these two traits combined, I'm sure that she had amassed quite the collection of books from her time in Greece, particularly the lively Athens."

He paused, allowing Bonnie to soak up this sudden intake of information, and history behind my past relatives. She nodded slowly.

"The Greeks are notorious for their legends and myths, and contrary to what most people think, some of them are true. But then there are also the people who know the truth, some of them are fine to live with it, but others want to destroy these creatures, these beings. Hunting groups have formed and been created for all kinds of supernatural creatures from all around the world, vampires, were wolfs, witches and etcetera. One of these groups, if in the position to kill particular creatures, would then break a powerful magic link, that would in consequence, destroy every other supernatural being on Earth, including yourself.

"The only way to stop them is to destroy them before they destroy us. Nothing is able to stop them; they are on a suicide mission to rid the world of celestial creatures. Now, I am in a situation right now where we could be very close to the end of any supernatural being for all eternity, but you Ms. Bennett, might be able to help me, help us. Please, any book or script that you might have dismissed as mythical drivel could be the key to ensuring that we survive. Can you help me?"

Bonnie raked her mind, trying hard to think of what she could do to help, her life was on the line as well. She had no choice. Looking around the cluttered room she shook her head at the mess of books she had lying around; Bonnie had grabbed every single book she and her Grams had owned and brought them there, foolishly thinking that she'd manage to undo Kai's spell. Her eyes drifted over to a stack of old leather books that were is some ancient language she couldn't interpret, and got up and walked over to them. "Here, have these, I can't read them anyway. They could be in Greek, but I'm not sure, I don't know what they say, but they could help you. I know they're really old, take them, I'll never need them."

Elijah got up and walked over to her. "Thank you, Ms. Bennett. I will be in your debt." He picked the large stack up effortlessly and they headed over to the entrance.

She opened the door and saw that Klaus and Rebekah still hadn't recovered, much to her relief. Elijah looked down at them and smirked.

"I do again apologize for disturbing you in your time of grief, I hope we haven't caused too much trouble." He remarked.

Wrapping her sweater around her tighter, Bonnie smothered her feelings; she needed to be brave. "It's okay, I feel like it's been a while since I've seen anyone, no one really comes over any more, they've all left." She didn't know why she was telling him this, but she was because she had no one else.

But instead of looking uncomfortable with this, he gave her an empathetic look. "I know what it's like to loose someone close to you. You'll blame yourself for a while, maybe even your whole existence, but I'll be the one to tell you that it's not your fault, there is nothing you could've done to stop what happened."

And Bonnie smiled at his kind, ignorant words. He had no idea, no idea that it actually was her fault the Elena wasn't there right now. "Thanks Elijah, I'll try and take those words into consideration." She lied.

"If you ever need anything, know that I am in debt to you. New Orleans is but a few hours away if you ever have any trouble. It is home to some of the worlds not powerful witches, who could help you with your dilemma."

"Thank you Elijah, I hope the books help you and your cause, for both of our sakes." Bonnie said as he stepped out the door.

"I do as well Ms. Bennett, and remember, time is a physician that heals every grief, take it." He smiled at her warmly, and Bonnie closed the door and took a deep breath.

Leaning against it, she slid down to the floor and held her breath, trying to stop her heart from hurting with the weight of her losses tearing it in two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first started writing for Elijah, I didn't think I would find it hard, because I have a similar mentality to him. But I was wrong, so wrong. He is so hard to write! He's such a stoic character, that throughout this chapter when I was writing emotional stuff, I was worried whether it was realistic or not. So I hope I've done well with his half.
> 
> If you are wondering why I slightly changed the events that went down in Mystic Falls (at the wedding), it is for plot reasons that I have planned out for future chapters.
> 
> Please review if you can, what readers think is really important. Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you so much for reading! X
> 
> Next Chapter - After a heated phone call with Rebekah, you will see Persephone's reaction after she finds out from Marcel that Kol knows she is in New Orleans. As well as this, you will see a flashback to the last time Persephone and Kol saw each other before he was daggered by Klaus in 1702, and before their relationship came crashing down.
> 
>    
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	11. Heavy Hollowness

"What the fuck Rebekah?"

She heard the voice on the other end sigh exasperatedly. "I'm so sorry Persephone, it's just Elijah and Nik suddenly-"

"-I don't give a crap what your self righteous brothers 'suddenly' did, you don't just fucking leave without so much as a goodbye. It's been days, and all I have done is lay around doing nothing." Persephone bit her tongue, deciding against telling Rebekah what she did last night, no one could know of that. No one could ever know that she used those kinds of things.

She could hear Rebekah sigh. "I know…"

The blonde was quiet, and her tone was distant. Persephone could hear the unsaid words hanging in the air on the other side of the line, and felt as though there was something Rebekah wasn't telling her. "Did you find anything that might be useful?" She prompted.

"Hm, yes, Elijah found some old novella's that he thinks could be of use, I myself am not so sure. Nik wants to continue the look for more texts in Mystic Falls; I, however, think that instead of looking for dusty old books, we should find knowledge in others instead. I believe this to be more practical." Rebekah stated, her voice sure, but tinted with irritation.

"Why don't you split up?" Persephone suggested what made the most sense.

"Yes, that's exactly what we are doing." Rebekah answered instantly. "Elijah and Nik will go around, allowing them to cover more ground. I will be coming back to New Orleans immediately. I have things to attend to."

Her tone of voice was strange, and struck a chord. Persephone still felt as though there was something she was hiding. "What kind of matters?"

And she took a breath, paused… No answer.

"Rebekah, why are you coming back to New Orleans?" Persephone asked once again, more urgently. It wasn't as though she didn't want Rebekah coming back, the house so big and quiet was closing in on her with each passing day. But something was off, and it was worrying.

"Um, it was completely irresponsible of us all to go off without telling you and leaving you without protection. That's why I am coming back." She answered with a sense of conviction.

But Persephone scoffed. "That's funny. I do seem to have a protector, in the form of a witch named Freya."

"Freya…" Rebekah started, but her voice trailed off, clearly at the surprise of her knowing about their secret sister.

"She did seem rather eager to help, in her own way." Persephone noted, ignoring Rebekah whispering on the other end of the line. "I can see the resemblance between you and her, but she definitely has Elijah's… charm."

"Persephone, we haven't seen Freya since six months ago." Rebekah started, a strange tone to her voice. "She just disappeared, we didn't know what happened to her."

And Persephone stood, starting to pace around her room, feeling restless. "Well she made it seem as though you all very well knew where she was. She said that you'd know where to find her." She ran her fingers through her matted hair, running over to her curtains to rip them open, however all was dark outside in the dead of night. The partygoers were away sleeping off their hangovers, and all she could see was her deranged reflection.

"Hm."

"Rebekah!" She mouthed off into the phone, she was distracted, and Persephone needed her attention, and needed answers. "Why did she say that? She implied that she might be able to help me. Why? How do you think she could help? Does she know something we don't?" The questions came pouring out of her mouth into the phone, but to no avail.

"Listen, I have to go, but I'll be back by tomorrow morning. Just stay put, and try not to lose your mind."

This made her agitated, and a rush of frustration flooded over Persephone. "'Try not to lose my mind'? Rebekah what do you-"

The line went dead.

She furiously wiped at tears of despair that pricked at the corners of her eyes as she set her phone down on her bed. The air was icy, biting at her everywhere, breath frosting slightly in the air. Uncomfortably cold, her skin felt raw, and she could still feel the scratches that lined her legs, the bloody scars that mapped themselves across her palms, and the blossoming bruise that was forming where that needle pricked her vein only last night.

God, she needed to feel warmth. Persephone was too cold. She walked over to the fire and poked at it, trying to reignite it, sparks flew, and it eventually flared up, radiating soothing heat. And so she rubbed her hands over it until they burned. Picking up the opened bottle of vodka that sat on the mantle, she chugged it, all the way, until her throat was numb, and insides burning.

Persephone needed warmth, even if it was painful.

A sleepy haze suddenly overtook her, but she fought to keep it away, because it meant falling asleep, and that therefore meant either dreaming memories, or dreaming whatever the fuck she had dreamt the night before. And her mind couldn't take it, she felt too fragile.

Her stomach groaned, and she realized that she needed to eat. Promptly leaving her room, she stormed into the halls until she got to the outer corridors that opened out into the courtyard. Persephone went to descend the stairs, but she saw something that stopped her in her tracks - Hayley, with two other people. Unknown people. People that she automatically couldn't trust. What the fuck was she thinking, bringing them in?

Stepping back, and hiding behind a corner in the dark, she looked out upon them, and strained her ears to try and hear their conversation.

"Okay, so this is the courtyard, and as you can see, you're kind of out in the open, so maybe try and keep away from here. Stay in your room, and if you need to leave, stick to the shadows. I'll compel a servant who will do anything for you on the down low." Hayley explained to the two strangers, her arms crossed.

"Or, I could just magic whatever we need to our room." One of the strangers, a curly haired blonde girl, said, her voice sour in response to Hayley's hospitality. "I'm apart of the Gemini coven, so I'm pretty strong."

Oh god, the Gemini coven. Isaac and Willow were from that coven. Persephone felt panic slowly seep into her core. And damn, she knew it was ridiculous, why was she basing her opinion of this girl upon two people she had known a couple of centuries ago just because they have a distant connection?

But that didn't stop her from cursing Hayley. _What the fuck are you doing?_

"You might have to abstain from magic, actually." Hayley shot back quickly. "When they come back from their 'trip', they'll definitely more or less sense that magic is being used, especially Klaus. I don't know how they do it, probably something to do with being the children of the original witch." She paused. "Plus, Kol is always around here somewhere, and there is Persephone, and I have no idea what she is capable of, but-"

"Having your life linked to the whole of the supernaturals population is bound to give you some mad quirks." The dark haired man interrupted with a tired voice. Persephone felt a rush of anger and betrayal at this. Hayley had told them about her. She had trusted her, and Hayley had just told these random strangers about her, about her life. Hayley clearly had no idea how reckless that had been. "Listen, we really appreciate this Hayley, but right now, Liv and I are exhausted, so maybe can you give us a briefing tomorrow morning or something, its been a really long week."

"When you're on the run from your temporarily locked up magic sucking psycho brother, you tend to have a few sleepless nights." The sour girl, Liv, continued, pursing her lips. _Good God_ , 'magic sucking psycho brother'? Crazies clearly had continued on in the Gemini bloodline, and that fact just made Persephone angrier with Hayley.

"Okay sure, Tyler, Liv, follow me." Hayley turned around and started towards a door. She stopped however, and spoke, without turning back. "Another pro tip, you might want to be careful with the volume in which you decide to speak…" Her voice hushed down to but a whisper. "The walls have ears here, and you never quite know who is listening at any time."

Persephone felt her heart skip and beat, and she sprinted back to her bedroom, the idea of food completely abandoned at Hayley's ambiguous words. As she entered the room, she slammed the door and turned the lock with it, although in a house of vampires, witches, werewolves, and hybrids, it was only giving her a false sense of security, nothing more.

"Have you seen Kol?"

She wildly lifted her eyes towards the source of the alien voice, finding Marcel standing by her bedroom window. They had met briefly, but hardly knew each other, so what the hell was he doing in her room?

But more importantly, _why was he asking her about Kol?_

Persephone swallowed dryly. "Kol? I… He-"

"I know your relationship with him is strained, I got a sense of that when I told him about you and-"

And she felt as though she had been slapped. "You told Kol I'm here?" She blurted out in absolute disbelief.

He ran his hand over his head and down his neck, looking uncomfortable, but he wasn't backing down. "Yes, and now he has gone missing. This is my city and Kol going on a blood thirsty rage doesn't bode well with anyone." He was so ignorant to what he had done.

"Do you understand what you have just done?" Persephone asked, slowly and quietly.

He stilled. Her predatory tone made him hesitate.

"By telling Kol that I am here?"

He didn't answer.

"He _will_ go on a blood thirsty rage." She started towards him deliberately. "Kol will murder, he will burn, and he will paint the town in blood."

She saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. She could tell that he had seen Kol do those exact things before, and it just made her more furious.

"And then he will come for me." Clenching her fists, and twitching in rage, Persephone glowered at the stupid vampire who didn't know enough. "He will come for me, because I left him, I left Kol in 1702. I left him daggered, and I left him without a companion. Do you know _why_ that means he is coming for me, Marcel?"

He nodded in realization, and dreadful understanding. "You left him before he could leave you." Pausing, Marcel looked away, and shook his head slowly, completely thwarted. "No one who Kol brings into his life gets to leave him."

She choked the word out through the sick knot in her throat and through the heavy ache in her chest. "Correct." Slowly stepping back and away, Persephone felt tears flood her eyes, her stomach thrash about in her abdomen, and her mind pound against her skull painfully.

"I didn't know."

His voice was one of guilt over his mistake. He knew that Kol was a liability, to everything. Marcel knew that if he hadn't told Kol of Persephone, then Kol wouldn't have been a problem. Marcel knew it was all his doing. But she looked at him, and shook her head, because it was easy for her to be angry with the man who had destroyed her chance of finally getting through the biggest obstacle of her life, however that was too easy. It was her own fault, _she_ should've told Marcel herself to not tell Kol of her. And she don't know why she didn't. Maybe because she thought that Kol wasn't ever going to be a problem again, Rebekah herself said he was going to leave to Miami. Persephone just hadn't really paid any mind to it.

It was her entire fault and she had to pay the price.

"I thought Kol was going to be in another state. It's my fault, Marcel, I should've told you."

Letting out a sigh, Marcel cracked his neck from side to side. "Well, there's no point in standing here and discussing who's to blame, we need to find a solution, fast." He announced, walking forward with purpose.

"Well then we must call Freya." She replied quickly, a plan formulating in her mind.

He gave her a quizzical look, tipping his head to the side. "Why?"

She licked her lips, thinking. "Because… We can have her track Kol and then we can-"

There was a curt knock on the door. It creaked open without prompt, and Hayley stepped in. "I doubt there'll be any need for that." She interjected, crossing her arms.

"Why?" Marcel repeated, a dubious look on his face, his eyebrows furrowing faintly.

A smirk of disbelief came upon Hayley's face. "Because Cami just dumped an out-cold Kol into the entrance." Persephone's jaw fell open, she felt her stomach settle somewhat, because at least they knew where the hell he was, and she could get onto the next step of her plan easier. "She said he started trashing her bar after an angry phone call with Rebekah. Cami pumped him full of vervain, and held him over night before dumping him here, she said he'll be out for another few hours."

The sick feeling came back, and Persephone's heart felt heavy with dread. What this Cami said was exactly how she thought Kol would react. It was extreme and terrifying and uncontrollable.

"Does anyone want to fill me in?" Hayley asked, her voice irritant, clearly over not being told much. But Persephone wasn't about to tell her anything, not after she brought in those two impostors and told them of her. Her own life was for her to tell others, Hayley had no right.

Storming forward, Persephone grabbed Hayley by the shoulders, taking her at surprise. Staring straight at her, as eye contact always made what she was about to do more effective, the brunette watched her in shock. "Call Freya, tell her she needs to take the protective boundary down so I can run, tell her it's not safe for me here anymore." And she watched as Hayley's face flushed, and her eyes glazed over. "Run."

She stepped away, and sprinted out the room. Persephone ran over to her bag, completely ignoring Marcel's stunned stare, and went to haphazardly stuff anything that could fit into her backpack. "What are you doing? How did you compel her?"

She blew out air through her teeth. "I can't ever see Kol again, you wouldn't understand Marcel, but I have to run now, I can't stay here with him." Her mind rushed with a flurry of plans, places to go, routes to take, somewhere to hide. Somewhere she would be safe.

"We can manage Kol, you're panicking, we can't afford to have you panic like this Persephone. Rebekah told me you'd do this."

His voice was steady, and wary as he watched her scramble around the room.

"Stop now."

But she rolled her eyes. Of course Rebekah had warned him about her tendency to run in the face of danger, she called it an 'unnecessary evil', Persephone called it the opposite, it was the exact reason as to why she was still alive.

Something she had learnt from her Mama, 'always stay on the balls of your feet, because they'll always be at your heels'.

"Rebekah doesn't know what she's talking about." She muttered, pulling out the draw of her bedside table and pouring the contents into her bag. The compulsion should've made her tired, but the rush of panicked adrenaline that was rushing through her body kept Persephone going. "Don't even try to get in my way Marcel, because I'll just compel you like Hayley, I can compel anyone."

Turning to grab some clothes, she hit his chest, and he stopped her moving by tightening his hands around her upper arms, stilling her movements. "Don't do this, you're safer here."

Persephone thrashed about, struggling as she could to get out of his iron grasp. She looked up at him, fuming. "Don't. Test. Me." She warned harshly, baring her teeth at him.

"We can dagger him, he'll be neutralized and no longer a threat." He reasoned, trying to appeal the rational side of her that was being suppressed in that moment by her panic.

Sighing in annoyance, Persephone shook her head. "You know Rebekah will never let that happen again!" She retorted the truth that they both knew. "This is the only way-"

"-Rebekah will let it happen if she knows your life is in danger!" He yelled back, his hands gripping tighter and tighter around her arms in frustration. "You're safer here, and you know it."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Persephone felt her mind flood with memories that corresponded to the last time that she heard those exact words being spoken.

_Western Spain - 1702_

" _You're safer here, and you know it." Kol retorted back to her suggestion that they should've left to Iceland sooner rather than later. "I bet they're close, and they are just trying to draw us out onto a ship, and they'll come on as crew, we won't be able to run anywhere, we'll be isolated out in the sea. Yes, I'm sure that's it." He muttered to himself, ignoring her pleas, as he paced back and forth in the small, cramped room._

_He had been doing it for the past hour. The atmosphere was tense, all she wanted to do was sleep, but sleep brought back violent nightmares, and Persephone preferred to put up with the pain that being awake was. Licking the blood from her lips, she cleared her throat to get his attention. And she did, whilst he continued on walking back and forth. "Just… Sit, Kol, rest."_

" _I just don't understand, it's been two days for gods sake, why has the bleeding not stopped?" Kol exclaimed in reply, just as frustrated as Persephone was. "You should be better now, it doesn't make any bloody sense!"_

" _Kol, stop, please. I have a headache." She whispered meekly, just so tired, even the most mundane of tasks wracked her body in fatigue, but she refused to let myself sleep._

_Persephone felt hot blood rise up her throat, and she let out a violent, spluttering cough, expelling thick clots of blood on the the pillow beside her. She felt hot tears sting her eyes, and her vision went blurry and red. She stared at the ceiling above and willed and willed herself to be stronger, get better, be stronger._

_But it was so hard; Persephone had never felt so weak._

" _Darling," she felt the bed sag down as Kol sat himself beside her, taking her hand, brushing sticky hair from her face, and wiping blood from her eyes. "You should sleep, you need your strength, okay?"_

_Persephone couldn't look at him, she couldn't stand for him to see the fear in her eyes, so she just stayed put, her eyes glued to the splintered wooden ceiling, and nodded. "You know I can't do that." She croaked back._

" _Has_ _ **this**_ _situation ever happened before though?"_

_She sighed. "Kol, you've already asked me a hundred times, no, it has never gotten this bad for this long before." Persephone's voice was coarse but hushed, and her tone agitated. She felt like utter shit, and was sick of him bombarding her with questions, and then forcing her to sleep. It wasn't just that sleep brought vicious nightmares, but she was_ _**scared** _ _. She truly felt like she was dying, and every time she was pushed to sleep, she was scared that it would be her last time awake. But she couldn't tell him that, she didn't know how he would react._

" _So this is the worst it has gotten?"_

_Persephone nodded._

" _Okay," He leveled his voice, and glanced out the window at the red orange sky lit up by the setting sun. "What about the second worst it has gotten? When was that?"_

_She split her thoughts, ignoring every part of her that was screaming in exhaustion and pain, in order to answer his question. Persephone had no idea why it mattered, but from his tone of voice she could tell he was on to something. "Maybe, a century ago, I was in Bavaria."_

" _What about the third worst?"_

_A lump formed in her throat. "It was after they killed Sam." She choked out, tears falling down her face._

_He jumped up suddenly, and ran over to the chest of drawers, grabbing a small velvet bag. No. He couldn't… Not again. "Kol, please, not again I don't want to, I can't- I'd rather be in pain."_

_His face was concentrated, however, and her words went straight through him. "I don't care, you need to eat it. Trust me, I know–"_

" _-I'm scared, Kol!" Persephone blurted out. He stilled in his movement, and watched her with his doe brown eyes. Blinking back tears, she saw a flurry of emotions flash in his eyes. Soon enough, she was coughing out more blood, and he was by her side patting her on the back. When she had heaved it all out, she rolled to her back, and looked up at him. "I don't know what is happening," she started, voice thick because intense fear was clouding everything, "I don't know if… I'm dying, if this is the end for me."_

_He shook his head. "No, no, no. I know why you're sick, I'm going to make it better, I promise Persephone." Kol grabbed the bag from the table, opened it, and lifted the little spoon. At the sight of the brown powder Persephone gagged in disgust. "Just eat it, and you'll be normal again when you wake." He brought the spoon to her mouth._

" _Why? At least tell me, before you drug me Kol. Then I'll eat it." She argued weakly, pushing it away._

_He retracted his hand, his face serious. "You feel sick, because a gorgon has died."_

" _What…"_

_He sat down beside her. "Gorgons are not only linked to all other supernatural creatures, they are linked together. You are all distant relatives of each other, the same bloodline. So when one dies, you all get weaker, because you lose yet another link, yet another body to share the burden of the thousands of lives that weigh on your soul."_

_His words hit her like a brick. But it all clicked, and suddenly, everything made sense._

" _Every time a gorgon dies, you will feel sicker, for longer, and it'll go away as it always does. But there will always be that little bit of strength you have lost, you aren't the same." He paused. "It makes it easier for the hunters to find you. The last gorgon will be so weak, making it simple for them in their power to destroy."_

_Persephone felt light headed. "When am I supposed to know… If I am the last?"_

" _I have no idea." He replied softly. "But it won't come to that."_

_He quickly brought his fingers to her mouth and forced her jaw open, shoving the spoon down and into her syrupy, clogged mouth. The mass of opium that gave her salvation against her pain, despite how much she hated it. Persephone coughed back however, he couldn't just drop a bombshell like that and expect her to go to sleep. She grasped his hand in her own and struggled, using all of her strength to pull the spoon from her mouth, whilst simultaneously coughing out blood and the powder. His face, he looked conflicted; guilty yet angry, and she just wanted to speak, to plead to him to let her stay awake. But it was no use, she was too weak, and him strong, and the mass fell down her throat, and she had no choice but to swallow it._

" _I'm sorry Persephone." He pulled the utensil from her mouth and softly caressed her cheek as she felt the world slip away, and with that, the pain. "This had to be done, you must sleep." He said firmly, his eyes unreadable._

" _Stay…" She murmured, reaching out for him, but missing as he stood._

" _I can't, darling, for now. But I'll see you on the other side."_

_And as he walked from the room, he glanced back once; his face one of what Persephone thought was determination. As she passed out from the opium overdose but a moment later, she realized it could've been anything._

_Anger. Sadness. Freedom. Guilt. Happiness._

_Resignation._

_Anything._

"Stop panicking and think reasonably."

With a heavy heart, she looked back up at Marcel. "I'll stay."

This took him off guard, and he raised his eyebrows at her, warning, seemingly unsure of whether she was playing him. Taking a deep breath, Persephone nodded.

"My mind is clear now, I know I was overreacting, okay? I know I'm safer here with everyone rather than out in the open alone." She shifted in her place, acutely aware of still being in his bruising grip. Noticing, he let go, and stepped back, still eyeing her suspiciously.

"So someone should probably go get Hayley…" He started.

"Yeah, I'll go get her now." Making her way towards the door, she could feel his eyes burning her back. Glancing back at him, irritated, Persephone scowled. "I'm not going to run, okay?"

He made a sound of understanding, and took out his phone, clearly wanting to make a phone call.

Walking up the corridor, Persephone could already see Hayley standing nearby the stairs, staring blankly ahead as she held her mobile to her ear.

"Just take the boundary spell down." She muttered forcefully into the speaker. Hayley hadn't noticed her presence, because of the compulsion she was entirely focused on doing what she had been told.

Persephone stood beside her, and bringing her lips to her ear, she whispered, "Apokteino to peripaton." Backing away, she waited for the moment the compulsion broke, and for the confusion to come.

Abruptly, she dropped her phone, letting it smash to the floor. Yet, Hayley remained standing, albeit wavering in her place, grasping onto the railing for support, and clutching her head as she squeezed her eyes shut tight. Letting out a long moan, her lips opened over so slowly, with her hazel irises hazy in bewilderment. However it seemed the minute her eyes hit Persephone, she regained her memory of what had just happened, and a fierce expression pinched her features as she stormed forward.

Shoving Persephone against the wall, Hayley growled at her face, keeping her hand firmly clutching at her shirt.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Hayley bellowed, her eyes glowing yellow, fangs poking out of her lips, and black veins crawling out onto her cheekbones.

Persephone held her hands up in surrender. "Calm down Hayley. I just compelled you to do some stuff, but I realized it was a mistake, and broke it before you could do anything." With her reasonable voice, she tried as she could reassure her. "I'm sorry, it was wrong, but I just panicked, and-"

"-Kol." She cut in, looking away in recollection, studying the floor beneath their feet as she thought.

"Yes."

"You were going to leave…" Hayley started softly.

Nodding, Persephone continued on where she had been interrupted, "I now know I was overreacting, I know I'm safer here. I'm staying."

Blinking, Hayley stepped down, releasing her shirt from her fingers. Looking at Persephone's, she narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head to the side. "Why _did_ you overreact, though? Why did Kol trashing Cami's bar, her knocking him out, and dumping him here make you panic so much?"

Shifting from foot to foot underneath her skeptical eye, Persephone quickly shook her head. "That doesn't matter right now, just- just follow me."

Before she could ask any more questions, Persephone started down the corridor towards her room, and thankfully, Hayley's footsteps trailed closely behind, wordlessly. Swinging the door open, she found Marcel to be finishing up his phone call. Giving her a knowing look, and a nod of affirmation, he hung up.

"Who was that?" Persephone asked, wondering what important phone call he had to make when they had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Rebekah." He replied curtly. "She knows where Klaus keeps the daggers."

Jumping forward, Hayley looked between them, an expression of exasperation painting her face. "Can someone _please_ tell me what's going on? Why do you need daggers?"

Giving Marcel a pained look across the room, he decided to answer. "Hayley, Kol has gone out of control, and he's too much of a liability. We need to neutralize him, even if it is just for now."

Shrugging, Hayley seemed to take this as the truth. "How can I help?"

Taking charge, Marcel straightened up, and made his way to the door. "I'll go get the daggers, Hayley, you go get Kol and take him to the downstairs bedroom, the one with the coffins."

Persephone snorted and rolled her eyes, incredulous at the fact that they had a bedroom that was known as the 'one with the coffins'. Although, it was no surprise, from what she had heard, Klaus seemed to get a bit dagger happy. So perhaps having coffins lying around was normal because they were probably used a lot.

However all the humor in the situation was gone when Hayley said those eight words.

"Persephone, can you come help me with Kol?"

She stilled. It felt as though all of the energy had just been sucked out of her, and she was about to pass out. The minuscule human part of her, it could feel her heart leap out of her chest and all of the air be knocked out of her lungs. Persephone's mouth dried, her eyes dampened, her hands in fists, and her mind was so overridden with thoughts and emotions that she could think of nothing but darkness.

All of that happened, because thought of even seeing him made her want to die.

And she was so fucking ashamed.

Persephone was so ashamed that he still had so much power over her, she was so ashamed that even the idea of her seeing him, even if he was unconscious, made her feel like she was right back at the beginning, when everything was taken away from her and she was left as a shell of the person she used to be.

No.

She wasn't going to let him do that to her. She wasn't going to let the past, the past that had destroyed her beyond repair, damage her any further. Persephone wasn't going to allow him that power.

"Okay."

Looking between the unsure looking Marcel and Hayley, Persephone nodded, feeling ironic at how ignorant they were as to how hard it was for her to say that simple, two-syllable word. She straightened herself, taking a deep, useless but to psych herself up, breath. Marcel had already gone to retrieve the dagger, and Hayley was halfway out the doorway when she turned back to glance at Persephone with raised eyebrows. "Come on." She encouraged, unaware of how much the next few moments were going to truly impact Persephone. But she didn't have the strength to tell her, so instead, she followed her wordlessly.

Persephone felt as though she was in a dream.

Her vision was foggy and her head light as she stumbled through the halls, down the stairs, and across the violently quiet courtyard to the entrance hall. All the while, Hayley was muttering unheard words back to Persephone, which she only registered as white noise, because nothing she was saying mattered.

She was about to see the one who had ruined her.

The one who had cast the blackest of shadows over her soul that light couldn't ever reign there ever again.

Persephone took seven more steps, as three seconds ticked by.

And there he was.

Lying limp on the carpet.

His arms and legs sprawled out in every which direction, on his stomach, his preferred way of sleeping.

His hair was exactly the same as when she last saw him, equally as purposefully messy as before.

And even though she had froze in the doorway meters away from his lifeless body, even though she was so far from him, she could see, she could hear, she could smell, everything.

Persephone could still hear his heavy steady breathing, she could still see the drool that was dribbling down his mouth, she could still hear him mumbling words of protest from his past and dreams, she could still smell the blood and amber and mint and sandalwood and alcohol that scented him, still see the way his body twitched ever so slightly, the way his fingers stretched out to grab for the nonexistent sheets, and the wisps of a smirk that painted his lips, the smirk that was so small that if you didn't know him, and know what to look for, it could be mistaken for a frown.

But _Persephone_ knew what it was.

Because _she_ knew him.

The man who was lying on the ground in front of her was the man who she thought she knew better than anyone, the man who Persephone gave her _everything_ to, and she thought gave his everything to her.

The man who was lying on the ground in front of her was the man she used sleep next to, who she used to tell her thoughts, her worries, her nightmares, her demons.

The man who was lying on the ground in front of her was the man whose smile she used to study every time it appeared, the man whose features she used to try with all of her might to etch into her mind like a knife to skin, the man whose touch used to give her a jolt of electricity that made her feel so alive.

The man who was lying on the ground in front of her was the man who she spent only a few whirlwind years with, the man who whisked her away from the stark and scarring realities of her life, the man who carefully constructed a façade of happiness and ignorance and trust.

Yet, it was a _façade_.

None of it was real.

She didn't know it, but it was insanity. It wasn't happiness or ignorance or trust that he gave her.

He gave her pure, undiluted insanity.

And when Persephone looked back at it all, she felt such an intense hatred for him. It was ugly, a hideous, awful, revolting, lethal hate.

He gave her insanity, which was beautiful, so, _so_ , beautiful.

It was so beautiful, so entirely intoxicating, that it became her whole world, her everything, the only thing that would ever matter to Persephone again.

Then he took it away.

Her insanity, which was as false as it was stunning.

He left her with nothing. And in that barren nothingness, a parasite grew, and it poisoned her with loathing and malevolence and everything in between. Those things filled the empty shell of what Persephone used to be, the empty shell that used to be full of such beauty, but became hollow the minute he took.

In a dazed state, with her mind screaming words of the past, present, and future, trembling to the tip of her fingers and toes, with her heart lodged in her throat, Persephone staggered past Hayley, and over to him. She stood tall by him, just as he had her so many times, and stared down.

Persephone wanted to make him feel the pain she felt when he took everything away from her. She wanted to tear her nails across his skin and scar him in the only way that she could, just like he did to her. She wanted to rip out his heart, because unlike her, he needed his to survive and she didn't. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs so he opened his eyes and she was the last sight he saw before she did all of the aforementioned things.

Never before had Persephone ever wanted to hurt someone so much.

And yet.

As she knelt down beside him, and reached out her hesitant hand, because she needed to know he was real, that he was really there. As the tips of her fingers grazed his lips, his cheek, his hair, Persephone's heart _lurched_. But the worst part was when _his_ hand jerked, and made a grab for hers. The way he blindly threaded his fingers through her own, the way his thumb found the palm of her hand to gently stroke, the way he did all of those things despite being completely unconscious, the way he did them like it was a knee jerk reaction…

Persephone felt tears sting her eyes; she felt her heart burn as bile rose up her throat because she realized one sick thing.

She missed it.

Persephone missed him.

Everything.

Even if none of it was real, she missed the insanity.

"Persephone?"

Snatching her hand away, Persephone fell back, and away from him like she had been struck by lighting. Her composure quickly returned as she remembered the situation, and her eyes quickly dried, soon flickering to Hayley, who was near the archway, with wide eyes or concern. Persephone scrambled up to her feet, leaning against the wall, as her head pounded, struggling to reply.

"Are you okay?" She continued, tentatively walking towards Persephone.

Quickly nodding, she let out a false laugh, and fake smile. "Sure."

Holding her stare, Hayley seemed like she wanted to say something, however decided better, and quickly signaled towards Kol. "You take his legs."

Hayley lodged the crook of her elbows under him armpits, Persephone wrapped her hands around his ankles, and they lifted. It was easy enough, although he was tall, Hayley was a hybrid, and she was strong, so for once in her lifetime, Persephone didn't have to bear much weight.

As they made their way towards the coffin bedroom, she concentrated with all inside of her to push down her feelings, her sick and pathetic feelings, and ignored how the way in which they were carrying him meant that Kol, although with shut eyes, was looking directly at her.

It was a dark and dank space, windowless, and hardly a bedroom, only decorated with three coffins that lined one wall each, some brimming bookshelves, an armoire, a blood red carpet, and a dark wooden table by which Marcel stood with a dagger in his hand.

Looking up, he curtly walked towards the casket that was engraved with a large, 'KM', on the lid. Opening it to reveal the black interior, Hayley and Persephone eased him down into the cushioned box. Marcel closed one section off, and grabbed the dagger.

It happened quickly.

Persephone didn't know what she expected.

Maybe, she thought that just before Marcel stabbed Kol in the heart, his eyes would flicker open, and he would see her, and…

But that didn't happen.

Instead, she stood at the end of the coffin, and watched as Marcel slid the dagger into Kol's chest, causing his skin to quickly grey, and the veins and arteries all over his body to thicken. He was gone.

It all felt like a dream.

Because Persephone didn't feel hate, or anger, or sadness.

She just felt numb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL THAT TURNED OUT DOUBLE TO WHAT I ORIGINALLY HAD. Okay, when I finished the chapter, it was around 3,300 words, and I wanted to make it longer, because I thought that would be too short. So I did. And then another 3,730 words appeared and the chapter became my longest ever. I'm sorry.
> 
> Anways, I hope you enjoyed that, please review and tell me what you thought of the beast of all chapters. Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and Kudos if you think I did a good job. Thank you for reading! X
> 
> Next Chapter – Split in the four parts (but won't be nearly as long as this).  
> Tyler and Liv discuss with each other about their actual purpose and the whole reason they're in New Orleans, and the and what they must do, and what they require, to finally be free of Kai.  
> Elijah has heard from an ally of a powerful witch with special powers who he meets, believing she can help them.  
> Caroline is visited by Klaus, who has prepared himself to say his goodbyes, and she has no idea how to feel about it.  
> Rebekah has to figure out what to do with Kol, and once she does, and she then hastily avoids Marcel, visits to Persephone, and they talk.
> 
>  
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	12. Stop Thinking, And End Your Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit: The chapter title is taken directly from the classic text "Tao Te Ching", authored by Lao-Tzu.

"Wow."

Tyler perked his eyebrows up at Liv, tilted his head to the side, and pursed his lips. "Yeah, so that's why Klaus hates me, and why I hate him." He took a sip of his beer.

She narrowed her eyes at him, dropped her fork on the plate loudly, and crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell me this _before_ I forced you to come here? Why did you only tell me about the thing with Hayley?"

Tyler leaned back in his seat across the table, and stared at Liv stubbornly, although it was hard to tell what his expression was in the restaurants stupid 'mood lighting'. "This is our only chance." He muttered.

And she couldn't help but smile. ' _Our_ only chance', he said, like it was not only Liv's life that was tethered to Kai's, but his as well. Tyler had never ever lead to her believe anything but the fact that they were in it together, for the long run, however it was always nice to hear the little things, like the use of 'us' or 'our', instead of 'you' or 'your'.

"I didn't want to discourage you."

So not only did Tyler have to swallow his pride in asking Hayley for help, but he also risked his life against his enemy, the fucking thousand year old hybrid, who also happened to be the father of Hayley's child. At least it was comforting for Liv to know that she wasn't the only one with fucked up relationships.

"I'll do anything to free you of Kai."

"I know, Tyler." She let out an almost disbelieving laugh. "You do what some would consider _too_ much for me. Sometimes I wonder why you stick with me-"

He, almost angrily, hit the surface of the table. "Because I love you, that's why." Tyler replied fiercely, almost like the idea of her thinking anything but infuriated him.

Staring across at him, Liv took his hand in her own, and rubbed small circles onto his palm, wondering what she, a pretty shitty person who hadn't treated him very well, had done to deserve Tyler Lockwood.

"You're all I have left, and without you, I'm nothing."

Liv felt her heart jump into her throat at is words. But she raised her eyebrow, and smirked. "Tyler, you know I'm definitely not going anywhere, even when you're on the brink of your deathbed, I'm still going to be right there, annoying the shit out of you." Her tone was joking, but they both knew the meaning behind the words.

He smiled, and squeezed her hand. "There is nothing I love more than you annoying the shit out of me."

Feeling a blush creep up her neck, Liv scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "Well you just made that corny as fuck." Picking the fork back up, she stuffed more food into her mouth in a way that made it seem as though she had never eaten in public before.

"Anyway, you annoying me on my deathbed might come sooner rather than later…" He replied, idly pushing the food on his plate around, a frown on his lips.

But Liv just snorted at his dramatics. "Listen, if you really think staying at the Mikaelson's is going to get you killed, than we can just go somewhere else."

A smile flickered across his lips, and he shook his head. "No, we need to stay. It's our only chance of getting to Freya and finally cutting Kai loose, plus, you've now been roped into doing Rebekah's dirty work, and if you try and back out now, it'll be _me_ annoying you on your deathbed, not the other way around."

Suddenly, she lost her appetite.

"But we can make that into a good thing, you can use them needing your help to our advantage." He continued on, tapping his fingers against the table slightly in a very un-Tyler-like manner along to the background jazz music. "Just say that you won't help them if Freya won't help us."

She snorted. "If Rebekah is half as bad as you say her brother is, then isn't issuing ultimatums like that a death wish?" Tyler was smart, but sometimes he said and suggested things without thinking through them properly.

"If she really needs your help, then she'll do it."

"Is that a chance I should really take? And how do we definitively know that Freya _will_ be able to help us?"

Tyler held up one finger. "First, when the only other alternative is living in fear for the rest of your life that Kai will escape and kill you, yes, I think that is a risk you should really take." Another finger popped up, and he raised his eyebrows at Liv. "Second, we don't actually know if she can help us, but with the knowledge of Esther's grimoire, I'm pretty sure that we will be able to get a good start to it all."

Her mind rushed at the thought of what that grimoire might've had inside, all of the potential potions, recipes, rituals, and spells that dated back thousands of years. There just _had_ to be something in there that would help.

Yet, the more and more Liv thought about it, the more she felt dread form at the bottom of her stomach, as she thought of what most spells, especially the extremely powerful and potentially dangerous ones, needed. She thought of all the spells she had done in the past, and she thought of all the spells that were done on actual people… and realized what a mess they were truly in.

"We want a spell to unlink Kai from me and everyone else."

Tyler sipped his drink, and gave her a weird look. "Uh, yeah…"

"The spell will be done so Kai isn't linked to us anymore."

He placed the glass on the table, and reached for Liv's hand. "Are you alri-"

"The spell will be casted on Kai."

He stilled.

"Kai needs to be here."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Pulling up on the sidewalk, Elijah looked at the golden writing upon the drift board above the store, it's curly lettering was hard to decipher, but he soon figured out he was in the right place, 'Asteria's Dream'. He felt relief, as he knew that her experience, wisdom, and powers could potentially help find an end to the problem. Elijah just needed her to want to help.

When he opened the door, the room was quiet, and the only sound he could hear was his own heartbeat. As Elijah stepped into the ornately decorated store, he noticed two things; there was a robust scent of ash with a hint of blood, and the woman of whom he was looking for was a lot younger than he thought she would be, and was standing right by the door, as though she was waiting for him.

"Elijah Mikaelson," She greeted, holding out her ring-clad hand to shake, "to what do I owe this honour?"

She had a coy smile on her dark lips, but her musky hazel eyes searched him with suspicion. Taking her hand, he shook, firmly. He hesitated in speaking however, not sure how what his first move would be in the game it was clear she was playing. "Normally I don't engage in pointless pleasantries, however, I should deem it necessary in this moment." Pausing to gather his thoughts, she raised her eyebrow. "Although it would seem redundant to question as to how you knew of my coming, as you are a witch, as well as an oracle."

She let out a twinkling laugh. "Looks like someone did their research."

Elijah glanced around the dark room; it was filled with shelves that were bursting with books, ornaments, jewels, potions, powders, plants, and all the more mythical objects. By the beaded archway that escaped to another place, he saw some thing burning, perhaps incense, perhaps something more. "Is there somewhere we can talk safely?"

"I'm burning an ancient herb over there, I'm sure you've noticed, it seals in all conversation to only the people in this room." Turning away, she sashayed over to her front desk, the bells on the bottom of her long silken skirt ringing, and the red rhinestones sewn on the sash at her hips winked in the dim light, as if beckoning him to follow her. She briefly disappeared, only to come back but a moment later with a teapot and two small cups. "Tea?" She offered innocently.

Walking over, he shook his head. "No thank you."

"Suit yourself." She hummed as she poured the glowing amber liquid, and drank it slowly and silently, exhaling long and loud when she finished. "So please, elaborate on what you need from me so badly that you had to travel miles away from New Orleans to a small town in north Colorado to my store and talk to little old me."

She was sharp. "I guess you don't have much of a taste for civilities either. I am however surprised that you weren't able to prophesize my reasons for arriving."

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head, as if disappointed. "I can't specify what I want to see, they just come, why don't people _realize_ that." Looking to Elijah, she pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. "I thought you would've known better."

He smiled bashfully. "I apologize if I thought the infamous, all-seeing Kalypso-"

"NO." She cut in, the word solid and unforgiving, her expression hard and her eyes wide. "Do not call me by that name."

Elijah furrowed his brows. "What else do people call you if not by your name?"

"Tara."

He paused in replying.

She sighed deeply. "I body jump. I'm Kalypso on the inside, but I'm Tara on the outside. Why else do you think I look so young, and not like the two hundred and twenty year old woman I am on the inside?"

Opening his mouth to respond, Elijah found he didn't really have anything to say.

"I of course have the woman's permission." She continued, pouring herself more tea. "Surprisingly enough, a lot of young witches are willing to give up years of their lives in their bodies just so they can be possessed by me, they think it's an honour. I'm starting to think I have a fan club or something." She suggested dryly. "But the people in these towns can't know that I'm actually me, otherwise… Well, lets just say some people have tried to exorcise me away, and things of the such in the past." Pausing for breath and a sip of tea, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Only a select few of my closest allies know, Elijah Mikaelson. If they trust you enough to share of my existence, then I shall do so as well, but one must always be wary around whom they keep as company, I always say. I like to keep on my toes."

She worded it as an outreach of an alliance, but Elijah knew it was a deeply laid threat, one that said, 'don't cross me'. He of course, knew to heed that threat. "Then that must make me an ally, does it not?"

Brushing away a stray bead from her head piece, she said, "I suppose so."

"I need you to come with me to New Orleans." He stated bluntly.

She smirked. "Absolutely not."

Elijah feigned confusion. "Not for an ally?"

Scoffing, she flicked her hand and the front door entrance slammed open. "Leave."

"I take it as a witch from the Greek coven of clairvoyants, also known as Cassandra's Prophesiers," He continued, ignoring her, "you must've been told the Legend of Gorgons."

Clicking her fingers, a piece of parchment appeared in front of her, coiled symbols scrawled in splotchy black ink. Her eyes flicked across it. "Yes, I used to wake up in the middle of the night crying because I was scared Thaddeus was coming to get me and turn me to stone… I did it consistently up until I was nine years old, that was when I realized… it was all _just a legend_." Her eyes glared up at Elijah, and were wide and wild with irritation.

"As a thousand year old blood sucking vampire, and you being a two hundred and twenty year old body jumping psychic witch, I find your cynicism of the legend _appalling_." He exhaled dramatically, making a point of his disappointment. "One would think you of all people believe in magical myths, but if I have to prove to you that I'm being honest, then so be it."

Elijah reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a chiffon and lace veil, Persephone's veil that she had kept for all that time. Holding it delicately along the palm of his hand, he held it out to her. She snorted. "What is this Elijah Mikaelson, what's left of your blankie?" He could tell she was trying to mock him by the tone of her voice, but her eyes sparked, and he could see her interest.

"Why don't you tell me?"

Curiosity ignited, and she grabbed the fabric from his hand, pulling over small jars of roughly powdered crystals and dark oils, she pinched and dripped all in some sort of recipe, before setting it alight. She held her hands over the fire and chanted, the flames licked her palms and he could see the waves of heat reddening her hands, but she carried on, chanting unknown words, her eyes closed.

Suddenly, the fire went out, leaving the veil un-charred, her chanting stopped, and she opened her eyes to look at Elijah, almost dumbstruck.

"Persephone." She stated, it seeming that was all she could say.

And he nodded. "So I see it worked." Taking the fabric back, he tucked it into the pocket of his coat. "I believe that with your guidance and wisdom, you being predictably the oldest oracle of Grecian roots on Earth, we could make advancements, farther than what we have been making so far."

She looked deep in thought.

"That, and if you don't at least try and help, we'll all surely die."

Her eyes whipped to him. "I'll come."

Elijah hid his smile.

Checkmate.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I just wanted to apologize, about how I was acting earlier."

Flinching at the voice, Caroline dropped her folded sweater in to the drawer, closed it carefully, and turned around slowly to face him. She thought she would never see him again. She never wanted to see him again. And this was the second time he had appeared, uninvited, in two days.

"It was immature, and certainly not the way to act around a lady." He stepped forward; extending his hand that held the single red rose, offering it to her. "Certainly, not the way I should act around you."

Caroline smirked cruelly. "Oh wow, the mighty Klaus Mikaelson apologizing to _me_? Where's my camera?" She asked sarcastically, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side.

And she expected him to laugh, shoot back an equally snarky comment as he had done just the day before, but instead, a wounded expression shadowed his face. One she hadn't seen before, it was startling. "You are very special to me, Caroline." He breathed, his hand dropped by his side lamely, the rose dangling from his fingers, and a lone petal fell to the floor.

Biting her lip, she sighed, a strange rush of pity and guilt taking Caroline over for him. "Look," she started, awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

He rubbed his hand over his face, frustrated, he sharply exhaled air. "No Caroline. Don't apologize; I should be the sorry one. I wasn't meant to come back, I promised I wouldn't, but I did because I wanted to, and without any consideration for how that would make you feel." He emphasized each word, and she could tell his words were completely sincere and genuine.

Caroline was speechless as she felt her heart lurch.

"I just wanted, to give you this, and say my goodbyes, and I won't be bothering you again. I just…" He trailed off, staring at the withering fire that burned behind her with distant eyes. "I just want you to be happy. It's all I've ever wanted."

God, Caroline's heart, it was beating so fast, faster than she had ever felt it beat before. And she had no idea what was happening. She was over him. She was over Klaus Mikaelson. In fact, Caroline never into him from the start. She wasn't, she was always so adamant about it. But in that moment, as he stood there in front of her, his raw words cracking with emotional vulnerability and honesty, a red rose in one hand, and his heart crumbling in his other, she felt tears prick her eyes and her heart scream in her chest, against almost every fibre of her being. Against every thought that pierced through her mind yelling, ' _No. Not him. Not him. Not him. Not him._ '

With his tone in starch finality, he said, "Goodbye, Caroline." Dropping the rose on the floor, he turned and walked to the door, footsteps heavy, and his head hanging.

God, her heart, it hurt, it hurt like it did when she found out Bonnie had died, like when she lost her mom, like it did when she lost Elena. Caroline hadn't felt such an intense feeling there for months, ever since she had lost everyone around her, ever since it all fell apart; she had become numb and hollow.

There was no one; Caroline felt as though she had no one. So her heart stopped trying, and she filled the emptiness with parties, classes, and people she didn't care about. Because there was no one for her to care about, they were all gone.

Caroline felt this cold rush in her brain that flurried out to the rest of her body, like thousands and thousands of pins pricking her everywhere. ' _This is not meant to be happening. Stop Caroline stop. You don't feel like this. You don't feel like this._ _Why now?_ ' It wasn't like her, she wasn't like Elena, she didn't fall for the bad boys, for the Damons. But as she willed her heart and soul to believe the statement, Caroline just felt as though I was grasping at nothing. The words filled her mouth and she felt like she was drowning in unspoken feelings and knew that she would suffocate if she didn't let them out, if she didn't let it out.

So Caroline did.

"Klaus!"

His reaction wasn't sudden, he didn't halt immediately and come running back, it was more hesitant. His foot hovered mid air, and his body made micro turning movements, as if he didn't know if she truly said his name, if she had truly stopped him from leaving forever.

"I'm…" She trailed off, her voice shaky. "…So alone."

And that was it. Caroline felt tears spill out of her eyes, felt her heart clutch and seize up and release and crack. She felt her soul well up and fall. Before she knew it, he was holding her to his chest, his arms folded around her comfortingly. Releasing a quiet sob, she could feel her tears stain his shirt creating a small puddle by her eyes. He let out a shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry Caroline."

"It's- it's so hard, sometimes." She whispered into him. "My… my mom died a few months ago, and she died because of me and I just feel so, so… hopeless without her. I just, I have no one." Caroline didn't know what she was saying. Or why she was saying it to him. But he was there, and he was holding her, and in that moment, for the first time in so long, someone was there for her. "No one talks to me anymore. I have no one."

"You mustn't blame yourself, about your mother's death." He murmured into her hair.

Pulling back, she looked at him through blurry eyes. "You don't understand, it _was_ my fault, she had cancer and I turned her and it just made her more sick and- and die _faster_." Caroline gulped air into her lungs. "She would still be alive today if I hadn't have done that. I'm to blame."

He brought his hand to her cheek, and delicately wiped the tears across her cheekbone away. "No." He said simply. "I strangled my own mother to death with the intention of killing. For that, I should blame myself, entirely. I of all people know what it means to kill a parent. But you…" He softly traced the lines of her lips with his thumb. "You only did what you thought would help her. It is not your fault. None of it is. And I am absolutely positive, that Elizabeth Forbes did not die, blaming you. And I know how blame works."

Caroline didn't know why. And she didn't know how. But that helped. It really, did. It made no sense. She should not have been taking advice from a man, who had killed thousands of people like ants under his shoe, but she believed him. Maybe because he was honest about all those he had killed in his lifetime, and he knew what blame really was. Or may it be because she just _needed_ to believe in something in that moment, because there was just the slightest chance that what he was saying was true.

"I want you to know you don't have to be alone."

She pulled away farther, her heart once again racing. It was too much. Stepping back now, Caroline crossed her arms, and looked at him. "Klaus I…"

He contemplated her. His pastel blue eyes almost stinging her, it was as though he could see right into her, Caroline's mind, everything. He watched her as though it was only the two of them, as though she was the only person that mattered in that moment. Having never had anyone look at her that way before, it was chilling.

"I know." She breathed. Caroline needed to be rational. Rationality was her trait. "I have responsibilities here."

He stepped forward, his hands taking hers, his eyes leaping to life, brightening like a fire ignited. "But what is the use of responsibilities if they don't make you happy?"

She laughed softly. "You don't understand. People don't have responsibilities because they want to. They have them because they have no other choice. It doesn't matter if they make me happy, I have a duty."

"No Caroline." He replied. "Your duties are picking up the pieces the likes of Damon Salvatore, Matt Donovan," He paused, swallowing as if in disgust, "Tyler Lockwood, left behind when they abandoned you. How is that fair?"

Carloine tugged on his hands, looking away. "Life isn't fair, Klaus."

He scoffed, tightening his grip on her hands and tugging her attention back to him. "That's what losers say, Caroline. That's that the weak say, the cowards. You are not any of those things. Life is what you make of it, I thought you of all people would know that."

His words stung. Primarily, because she knew they were true.

"I know Mystic Falls is your home, and perhaps, you can't imagine living anywhere else. Perhaps, the idea even scares you." He looked down to their linked hands. "But you have been through so much, you are barely twenty one, and you have centuries ahead of you. I think, you should follow the lead of your fellow comrades, and leave Mystic Falls behind you."

The air she was breathing felt suffocating as he uttered the last words.

"You would not be forgetting it, one should never forget the past for it has shaped who we are today, but you are merely moving on, rather than saturating yourself in rotten memories." He pressed his lips against Caroline's hand and kissed it softly, and then slowly untangling his fingers from hers, he stepped back. "I don't expect you to leave with me now, but always know that my home is open for you."

Picking up the rose that was rejected on the floor, he handed it to her.

"All it takes is a leap of faith."

And he was gone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

He always looked so peaceful, it sometimes scared Rebekah.

Blinking back her guilty tears and swallowing the thick lump in her throat, she brushed a stray hair from his forehead, and turned around to face the witch. It seemed that while Freya was 'back', she wasn't really, as Rebekah hadn't been able to locate her, as usual. She was therefore thankful, but also slightly annoyed, that Hayley told her of Tyler's witch girlfriend Olivia, both of whom she had taken upon herself to invite into their homes. Hayley failing to inform her of this was irritant, but Rebekah decided to make the best out of it, and use the girl to her use. She may not have been as powerful as Freya, but she was more than just an average witch, she was a Gemini.

"Do it." Rebekah commanded, trying as she could to keep her wavering voice steady.

But witches eyes were full of doubt. "Are you sure? I'll try my best, but he's an original vampire, and I don't know if it will-"

"Did I ask for your input?" Rebekah snapped back sharply. "You are being allowed to stay here out of the kindness of my heart. God forbid it was Niklaus, or even Elijah, who returned instead of me, for you would probably be in the streets now, along with your little wolf boy."

And her nostrils flared angrily, but she said nothing, and bowed her head down.

"Kol destroys. You don't know him, but if he remembers anything from the past few days, he will ruin everything. His heart will break, and everything else with it." And she stepped forward slowly, my words now softer, sadder. "I love my brother, but he is selfish, and when he is in pain, everyone else must be as well. If he remembers, then pain will come. So try better than 'your best', and _do it_."

Olivia nodded, and Rebekah moved out of her path, and watched as she walked up to the coffin, and hovered her hands above her brother, chanting Latin words that would clear his memory of the past two days, and therefore, clear his pain. It was for the best. For everyone, including Kol himself.

The girl turned to Rebekah, a stream of blood flowing from her nostril. "It's done. Leave him like this for a few days; let the spell have its full effect. The magic might be drained from his system if he is awoken, the vampire metabolism and all that shit would counter attack it's effect." She wiped the blood away. "I need to go rest."

Rebekah licked her lips. "Okay." The witch started towards the door, but she grabbed her arm abruptly, wanting to add in something else. "Don't tell anyone of this, otherwise the consequences will be worse than you can imagine."

Olivia wrenched her arm away, and muttered a bitter sounding "whatever" as she stormed out of the room, clearly in a foul mood, although Rebekah didn't give a damn. And she was left alone with Kol.

Oh, how many times she had been in this exact position. His grey, withering body lying limply in the same cushioned coffin. Rebekah just wanted to tell him how much she was sorry. How much she wished it didn't have to be that way. How much she wished she had been a better sister to him. How much she wished that Persephone hadn't left all those years ago.

It hurt me more than Rebekah thought it would. More than she wanted it to.

She wanted to break. But she couldn't, having to stay strong, for Persephone, for Kol, and for herself. It was hard nonetheless, knowing Kol was stuck in this empty, echoing, inescapable darkness, because of her. They were her orders. The minute Marcel phoned Rebekah and told her what happened, she didn't even hesitate to tell him to dagger Kol. It made her feel awful, it was like she was becoming someone who she had hated for so long because of the daggering; Nik.

"You okay?"

Marcel asked from behind her. She sniffed and turned around. "How I feel doesn't matter right now." Rebekah answered stiffly, meeting his eyes.

"How you feel always matters." He held her stare, a searching look in his dark eyes. He could always read her so well. She could tell he was worried about her, but Rebekah didn't want that, she didn't need that. He wasn't allowed to be worried about her.

But instead of falling under his charm, she hardened, because Rebekah wasn't about to let him care. "I'm not doing _this_ with you."

Flinching slightly, he furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you-"

"I am never going to do anything with you again, Marcel." She cut in acidly. Starting to make weak protests, Rebekah spoke over him, once again. "Leave."

And of course, being the stubborn child he was, Marcel squared his shoulders off, and stood his place. "I'm not going to just let you-"

She, however, didn't hear the rest of his sentence, as Rebekah had already left the room, and was halfway up the stairs. She needed to talk to a certain someone.

"Persephone!" Rebekah yelled, marching into her room. "We need to-"

That was when she realized she had woken Persephone up, and Rebekah stopped in her tracks, staring at her as she lifted herself to lean on her elbows, and wipe the sleep from her eyes, flatten her bedhead, and generally wake up and take in her surrounds. Instead of standing pathetically by the door, Rebekah closed it, and quietly made her way to sit by her on the bed. Finally noticing that she was actually there, Persephone shot her a lopsided grin. "It's nice to see you." She started, her voice husky and thick, as she was probably still waking up.

Any animosity, or tension, Rebekah held towards her in the previous moment dissolved at her abnormal sentiment; she shot back a truly genuine smile. "It's nice to see you as well, considering I have spent the past few days with Elijah and Nik and those losers from Mystic Falls."

She nodded. "I hate losers."

"Hmm, me too…" Rebekah trailed off, hesitant to get to the point of why she was visiting her. But it seemed Persephone already knew.

"So you're here because of yesterday?" She prompted, and Rebekah was slightly surprised that she herself brought up the topic, as normally she would fight off any talk of her feelings.

"Yes." Rebekah replied, sitting up straighter. "How do-"

"-I'm fine." She cut in quickly, staring at her hands in a way that told Rebekah she was lying.

Leaning in, she gently touched Persephone hand, causing her to glance up at Rebekah. "Are you really?"

She stilled, and made a clicking sound, and swallowed thickly, her eyes were glassy, and wide, probably to stop tears from falling.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she hooked her finger onto Rebekah's, and sighed. "Everywhere hurts." Persephone's voice sounded small, and almost childlike. "Yet I feel nothing."

Rebekah wanted to tell her she didn't have to feel that way, she wanted to tell Persephone that all of her unhappiness was based upon a lie the Niklaus' conjured up and that she didn't have to be in pain, or numb, or miserable. She wanted to tell her that it was her stubbornness and her insistence on believing that lie had not only ruined her own happiness, but Kol's as well. But Rebekah knew she couldn't tell her, because she remembered what had happened last time she did, the person she brought up in Persephone when she started speaking, and saying those things.

Rebekah didn't ever want to see that person again.

Yet, the urge to tell her those things, to tell her the truth, formed like a deep, chronic ache at the pit of Rebekah's stomach. It was _painful_ , for her to just have to sit by and not intervene.

"The pain demands to be felt all at once, but I won't let it, not just yet." Persephone continued, tearing her from her thoughts.

But Rebekah frowned at her words. "Won't that just make it worse once you finally do?"

However, she smiled, and shook her head. "I've let it bleed inside me for the whole of my life, slowly in small amounts, thinking it'll go away, that it'll end. But it just keeps getting bigger and bigger, like a relentless tumour, and nothing will make it go away."

"Confronting it once and for all is better than living in constant pain, even if it is the worst thing you have ever felt."

Persephone laced one hand around hers, and brought the other to her face, softly trailing her fingers across Rebekah's skin, and she let her, silently. "I've lost myself in agony of reality so many times, yet there has always been some few instances that have brought me back to myself and away from everything else into an ethereal dreamland. But I don't think a case like the such will ever happen again."

"You're not feeling the agony of reality, but you're not in an ethereal dreamland either…" Rebekah trailed off, trying to decipher her encrypted words. "You're in some… some sort of limbo."

She nodded.

"Why? All the pain must be awful, and so you shield yourself from it. But you can't protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness as well. Something can only bring you back from sadness into happiness if you _feel_ the sadness."

"Rebekah, you have too much faith in the world, and me." Persephone gazed at her with such softness that Rebekah had never seen before, that it was almost as though she was looking into the eyes of another person. "I've known for a while, that no matter what, the minute I start to feel the full, forceful impact of the pain that reality brings, there will be no bringing me back. And I can't be lost, not just yet, so I must push on."

And Rebekah nodded dumbly, as she could say nothing, but all that was running through her mind was, ' _God, Niklaus…'_

' _What have you_ _done?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So stuff is finally moving along and for the once the story isn't all about how people feel and things are actually getting done. Which I don't know, I feel like it's taken a long time to get here and I'm worried people are getting bored... I've always intended for this story to be a slow burn (or at least what I think a slow burn is), so I just want to warn people that there's still more ahead, and it might take a while to get there but I am always going to try with my everything to keep it interesting.
> 
> I also don't know what people are thinking, but I want to assure you that Kol will definitely be reunited with Persephone. They will meet and talk and do that kind of stuff. It will happen. It's just being built up. Just in case you thought that one of them would die or something and then the other would see their corpse on the floor and be like "damn". But I don't know, just wanted to reassure you.
> 
> If you would like to see what I had in mind for the appearance of the character of Kalypso while writing this chapter, then click the link below, and that will show you the picture, as well as more for my other OC's.
> 
> Please review if you can, hearing what other people think (the good, the bad and the ugly) is really important to me, so please if you can just take a few seconds to tell me what you think so far. Subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and kudos if you think I did a good job, and thank you for reading! X
> 
> Next Chapter - Back to Persephone. She once again receives a nightmarish visit from two people that she despises, and they leave her behind with something. But soon enough, Elijah introduces her to Kalypso, and she discovers whether the clairvoyant can be trusted, and if so, what is ahead. As well as this, there is a flashback to an interaction between Persephone and Kol, where she finally decides to leave by herself as they aren't making any progress, and she needs to move on from him.
> 
>    
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	13. Nothing Burns Like The Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit: The chapter title is taken from a quote by the one and only George R.R. Martin, "Nothing burns like the cold. But only for a while. Then it gets inside you and starts to fill you up, and after a while you don't have the strength to fight it."
> 
> It is not necessary if you don't want to, but if you want to play the song that is mentioned in the second flashback along with it, it's called [Dido's Lament](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePdic5HLb-U), which I've linked to go directly to the YouTube Video. Hope you enjoy the chapter! X

_Persephone fell asleep, but it was like she had just woken up._

_It was bright._

_So bright that she thought she was going to go blind. But when_ _**she** _ _stepped forward, Persephone knew exactly where she was._

" _So that must've been hard for you, my sweet."_

_Her voice was so sickly sugary that Persephone could feel vomit rise up her throat with every word she spoke. That time, she decided she wasn't going to be weak like she had at first; Persephone stood her ground. She stared at Willow, unblinking._

" _When you saw your love, Kol, I was kind of rooting for him to wake, and then for things to happen, and then for you to both fall in love with each other and finally be happy… because it then would've been just that much more fun when they finally got you. But this kind of ongoing path of you ignoring all of your feelings and pretending they don't exist works as well, so I won't complain."_

_She was wearing the same clothes as she had that night. A layered velvet gown, one of a deep dark blue color that was embroidered with ornate patterns that spanned dense from the top of the piece, to dissipate out at the bottom, and ruffles of lace hung off from the bottom of her sleeves that ended at her elbows._

_She stood with the same grace right in front of Persephone in that moment as she had five hundred years ago. Her face was lovely and soft, her doe hazel eyes compassionate, her waved chestnut hair flowing over her shoulders, and a small grin painted across her delicate rouged lips._

_But that still didn't distract from the patches of blood that stained her dress, stab wounds, and the thick gash that tore across her throat._

" _It's rude to stare."_

_Persephone glared at her._

_She quickly blew out air from her mouth. "Wow, if looks could kill- oh wait." And with that, Willow doubled over chuckling at her own joke. Persephone heard another laugh ignite behind her, and turning around, she saw Isaac emerge._

" _I have arrived." He announced through a wide grin. Glancing around, he turned to her, and raised an eyebrow. "Okay, well this is a lot brighter than before."_

_Willow walked towards him. "I know right! But I have a theory, I think it's because that she's not under the influence of heroine… or was it oxycodone?" They babbled between each other, but Persephone had no interest in listening, because she was just staring at them. Staring at him._

_It was absolutely haunting. Seeing the ghosts of her past._

_That was the first time she saw him clearly in five centuries. As in obvious coordination with his twin, he was wearing a midnight blue velvet jacket that buttoned up to his neck, an ash grey fur overcoat, black leather trousers, and high leather boots. His hair was thick and dark and stuck down to his forward. His hazel eyes were doe much like Willow's, however they were also more sinister._

_And much like Willow, he had a jagged slash across his neck, and his usually pretty face was bruised, discolored in violet and brown._

" _I told her it's rude to stare."_

_Sucking a sharp breath in, Persephone looked at their faces. Her eyes were narrowed in contempt, but he held his hand up to stop her, a look of sick wonder playing out on his face, as he stared back at her. His eyes were barren of any light. They were absolutely dead._

_Persephone swallowed the knot that had lodged itself in her throat. "So they slit your throats? That's how you died?"_

_Looking down, Isaac let out a bitter smirk._

" _Oh dear, no. It's much more complicated than that." Willow put her arm around her brother's shoulder. "Why don't you show her Isaac?"_

_Cracking his neck, he stalked up to Persephone, but she refused to recoil away from him in fear, fear was what they fed off, and she knew she couldn't give them that. But he started unbuttoning his coat, slowly, and she felt something drop in her stomach at his confusing actions. "What are you-"_

_And she was cut off when he pulled the fabric apart, revealing his bare torso, a wide and splitting tear across it._

_She felt sick._

_He had been disemboweled._

" _They beat him, and did it in front of me." Willow cut in, her voice watery and cracked. "Then they stabbed me seven times, apparently in the name of Athena as that is her symbolic number, and slit my throat."_

" _Then when they discovered I wasn't yet dead after having most of my insides taken out, they gave me a cut to match my sisters…" He buttoned up his jacket, and despite the fact that Willow's eyes were glowing bright and wet with grief, his were completely blank, and devoid of emotion._

_That was when Persephone noticed; his eyes had always looked like that. She just hadn't ever noticed before because she wasn't looking, or because she didn't want to see it, because he was meant to be her savoir, they both were._

" _All because you got away." Willow hissed, slowly walking forward._

_Persephone looked at her, as her lips turned into a sneer and her hands into fists, she shook her head. "No." She replied simply. "You betrayed Sam. You betrayed me, because you were both selfish and wanted to be immortal. You got what you deserved for making the deaths of all supernatural creatures happening just that much closer."_

" _You are a monster." Isaac stood by his sister._

" _Look at yourselves. Then tell me who the monster is."_

_His lips curled into a leer, and he looked down. "Well you are definitely more snappy this time around than you were before."_

" _I liked it more when she was on her knees crying." Her voice was harsh and cruel, and she looked at Persephone like she was nothing to her. But she didn't care._

_Crossing her arms, she straightened her stance. "I now know you can't hurt me. I won't let you."_

" _Bold."_

_Isaac replied simply, giving Willow a knowing glance._

_Inching forward, she grabbed her forearm and pulled Persephone forward. Tipping her head to the side, she looked down her nose, and tightened her grip. "Does that hurt, little one?"_

_Persephone didn't try to struggle away; she couldn't show them her fear. So she stayed silent._

_Behind her, Isaac danced his fingers down her back, cold and crawling. She shivered, realizing just how icy the air was. "What about when you woke up last week? Was your skin not raw and red from me scratching your soft flesh?"_

_His words sent bile rising up her throat, and Persephone tensed at the memory of what happened before. She clenched her jaw._

" _What about the small cuts on your cheeks my fingernails left as I dug them into your skin?" Willow added, baring her teeth at her, moving her face closer to Persephone's so she could taste her breath._

_Suddenly, the world wavered._

_It went dark for a moment. They blurred out, their touches were gone, and they were but faded figures from her memories._

_However they soon returned, still flickering like weak flame. Persephone didn't know what was going on, but felt relief each time she lost sense of their touch, and returning dread every time they came back fully._

" _She's waking up." Willow said softly._

_Isaac breathed out a laugh. "Well then, I say we leave her with a little souvenir to remember this time, what do you think sister?"_

_Her face splitting with a shit-eating grin, she nodded, grasping Persephone's other forearm. She held her in place, and she felt frozen, defenseless and weak against anything they were doing to her. They weren't the only ones fading away, so was she. And it made her completely powerless against anything they did._

" _Do it. Right on her back."_

_Persephone stilled at Willows hissed words, her frantic eyes. She heard a click._

_A severe stinging sensation sliced just below her neck, carving its way down, slowly. Persephone bit her tongue till it bled to not scream out, and stared at the ground avoiding Willow's stare; she refused to give them any satisfaction. But even so, her eyes tingled with tears, and she could feel blood drip down her back,_

" _It's done."_

_She was lightheaded, and breathed shakily. Her knees were weak, and she looked up at her. "What. Have. You. Done?"_

_Isaac lightly touched the wound with the pads of his fingers. "We have branded you."_

The minute Persephone woke, she shoved the covers away, jumping out of the bed, and ran toward the bathroom as fast as her fatigued, and withdrawing body could take her. She needed to see what Isaac had done.

Delicately pulling the black long sleeve V-neck off, she gathered her ponytail to one side of her shoulder. Standing in front of the mirror, Persephone turned around. The skin burned and screamed as she pulled away stray hairs from it, twisting her head to try and see the reflection in the mirror.

She saw the beginning of jagged cuts, red and raw, extending in different directions. Her eyes strained as she tried and read what he referred to.

However she could only make out the letter, 'M', before Elijah was knocking at her door, and she quickly pulled her shirt back on and pushed her hair back. Shouting out a strained sounding, "Coming", she rushed over to the door. The stinging on her skin continued, and it took all the energy in herself to pull the grimace of pain from her face, and contort it into one of neutrality.

"I hope I didn't wake you." He started, eyeing her carefully.

Persephone shook her head. "Not at all, it's nice to see you're back safely."

"Well, if it's not too late or too much trouble, I have someone here I would like you to meet, if you feel up to it?" Elijah asked.

Forcing a smile onto her face, she stepped out of the room, and closed the door behind. "Sure, I'll meet them."

He held her stare for a moment, his eyes completely unreadable, and Persephone was starting to fear that he could tell something was wrong. However he seemed to dismiss it, and nodded. "Follow me then."

Elijah led her down the stairs, and into the courtyard, all the while explaining how he thought the guest would be able to help. Then Persephone saw her.

"I'm Kalypso."

The woman was beautiful; she had dark bronzed skin that seemed so shimmer under the afternoon light, a soft smile that painted nicely across her plum purple lips, and deep hazel eyes that were kind at first glance, but calculating at second, Persephone could tell she was intelligent. She found it encouraging, because if first impressions were something to go by, then she hoped that with Kalypso's combined help, she might've had a chance.

"I'm an clairvoyant, or a seer, as some might say."

But she was young. Maybe too young, and maybe too inexperienced. Persephone knew she shouldn't have let that worry her, because she had no idea of her talents, but after living for over seven hundred years, to her, age was telling.

"And I'm actually two hundred and twenty years old. This is not my true body, that is but bones and dust by now."

Her voice jerked her back into reality. She had met clairvoyants before, yet there was something about her aura, and the way she composed herself, that told Persephone was more powerful than all of them combined. Kalypso must've been especially sensitive to everything around her. And it reassured her, however she had to be certain she could be trusted. Her eyes were analyzing Persephone thoroughly, and as she shook Kalypso's hand, her grip was tight, her skin warm, and she thought she could almost feel it buzzing. "It's nice to meet you, Kalypso, I'm Persephone."

She smiled wistfully. "I know." Her voice was as smooth as honey, an intense fragrance of ash and roses and vanilla hung around her, and she held herself with grace, elegance, and supremacy. "Tell me." Simply said, but expectant.

Persephone titled her head to the side, and smiled back. "Something tells me you already know everything about me."

She nodded approvingly. "That is true, I saw a lot because of Elijah. How am I to help if I do not know the subject? " She raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. "However what I saw was limited to but a few centuries, and there is still much I need to know from you yourself."

"I would've assumed you would already know _everything_."

Kalypso sighed profoundly. "My knowledge and power is limited, as is everything in existence. I need more from _you,_ the source."

Persephone glanced at Elijah. "Could you please give Elijah and I a minute to gather our thoughts?" She requested. Kalypso nodded, appeasing, and sashayed over to the longue area, sitting herself down, completely at ease yet in control all at once. She busied herself with a nearby book that lay upon the table, lazily flipping through the pages.

Elijah walked up to Persephone. "She is one of the most powerful witches of our time, and infamous for her clear cut predictions of the future. She could be a very powerful asset to us." His voice was hushed, but she could hear the hope tinting his tone as he spoke.

"But is she trustworthy?" She replied, needing to know from one of the most cautious people she knew if it was safe to share more information about herself with the powerful stranger. She had trusted great witches in the past, and it hadn't worked out.

He nodded. "She has secrets of her own that she has entrusted me with. I can assure you, she wouldn't dare cross us." His words assured her. Elijah always seemed to have that quality; he was so stoic and calm, like at all times he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Are you two done?" Kalypso asked, not looking up. "Or would you like to waste more time whispering between yourselves? Because I personally, don't like waiting."

With one last glance at each other, Elijah and Persephone walked over to the seating area, and joined her. Kalypso silently placed the novel down, and lying back in her chair lazily, she looked at her expectantly. "I need to know what you know, so I don't waste any of _more_ time rehashing unnecessary things." Persephone started severely, irritated by the slightly arrogant way she was behaving.

Yet she grinned at her harshness. "I like the way you think, Persephone, I knew I would." Kalypso sat up straighter, ready to get to business. "I saw everything that the veil saw."

Persephone looked at Elijah, confused as to what she was talking about.

He looked uncomfortable, and shifted in his seat. "I took the veil you used in the past to shield your eyes. I thought that letting her see your life and situation through that would be easier than… explaining it all."

Biting down on her urge to rage at Elijah for invading her privacy and stealing the one thing she had left of her Mama, knowing that he did what he needed to do, Persephone nodded. "So you saw everything through my eyes from about… 1325 to 1537?"

"I saw _everything_ that veil saw." The way she stressed 'everything' was when Persephone realized that Kalypso had seen not only her past, but her Mama's past as well, because the veil had been her Mama's before it had been hers. And not only that, but the veil had been passed down through generations of her family… She had seen things that Persephone's ancestors had seen, things that she hadn't even been living for… _God_ , did she just want to sit there, and ask Kalypso thousands and thousands of questions about all that she saw, about her Mama and the ones before her. But there wasn't time for that…

Persephone sat back in her seat, and shook her head, crossing her arms. "Well then, there is nothing I can tell you, because you know more than I ever will."

"So from 1537, from the moment those witches shielded your eyes and rendered the veil completely useless, you haven't learnt _anything_ of use about the hunters that would help?" Her tone was one of dissatisfaction.

Looking to her frankly, Persephone shot back. "As I said, you know more about them than I do. The only things that I _think_ I do know about them is that they are immortal, and strong, and are on a suicide mission to kill me." It had always irked her that the hunters knew so much about her, where to find her, how to end her, but she knew nothing of them. "But if you can debunk any of that, please do."

She licked her lips, and Persephone could tell that she was about to do exactly as she asked. "The first thing that I know is that gorgons have been running from these hunters for thousands of years under the impression they are strong, have the knowledge of millenniums, and will kill you if they get close enough. Correct?"

Persephone nodded.

"But how many times have they found you, and come close, but missed out?"

She raised her brows. " _Many_." It was all Persephone could say.

"How have they not found you here yet?"

Elijah answered, "The compound was cloaked long ago by Freya through a spell from my mothers grimoire. As long as someone is in the compound, no amount of magic can find them." He sounded very sure in what he was saying.

Kalypso furrowed her brows. "But… if these hunters are from the times of Ancient Greece, the time that _created_ witches, and are thousands of years old, with the knowledge of many eras, wouldn't they be able to find you with their ancient magic over a Norse cloaking spell?" What she was saying made so much sense, and Persephone questioned why she had never thought of it all before. "You seem to be severally mistaken in your assumptions that these hunters are strong, Persephone. All gorgons have been. Prey do tell me why you've thought this way?"

And Persephone let out a breath of disbelief. "It's how I was brought up, my mother always told me they were strong. And I believed her, because they could kill gorgons, and no one else knew how to…"

Kalypso shook her head. "That doesn't necessarily make them strong, it makes them knowledgeable in the craft of destroying a gorgon, a small, niche, area. That is all they have aimed for in the past thousands of years, nothing else, therefore they are narrow minded. Knowledge is power, but their knowledge is very, very limited."

What she was saying was making Persephone re-evaluate the way she had thought her whole life, and it was strange, but also almost comforting. It gave her a slither of hope that there could finally be a definitive end to it all. She looked at the oracle. "Do you think you can help me?"

She widened her eyes at this. "I know I can help you, I've seen it, the possibilities."

"What can I do to help you?"

"You need to trust me."

Persephone stared at her, unyielding. "I have been crossed by witches before." She replied gravely, her mind crossing back to Isaac and Willow, and she was reminded of the marred flesh on that laid hidden to the rest of the world beneath her hair. The skin on her neck reignited, and all over again could she feel the knife etch the words on her. She inhaled a sharp breath. "I am now not so quick to trust them, or anyone at all."

Kalypso seemed understanding of this, and nodded. "Let me assure you, I am the kind to keep my word. It is in my best interest anyway, unless I want to die. And considering I have spent the last hundred and thirty years jumping from body to body, that is quite unlikely."

Persephone smiled weakly, the stinging had radiated to the rest of her body, and it took a lot in her to not hiss in pain. "Then you have my trust."

"I need one more thing."

She let out a laugh. "Anything."

"I need Freya Mikaelson's help."

"I can sort that out." Elijah replied smoothly. "However, you must be exhausted from your trip. We already have a room set for you, and we shall begin work in the morning." Persephone observed the inky sky above them, as he stood and waved his hand out over to the staircase, holding out his other for Kalypso to take.

"Thank you for your hospitality." She replied gratefully, taking Elijah's offering as she rose to her feet.

"It is the least we can do, for your help." Persephone said, standing up, looking to her as she pulled her brown fur shawl tighter around her shoulders, and brushed the blue beads that hung down her headpiece from her eyes. Even doing mundane things, Kalypso seemed mighty, like she had the control of the world at her fingertips.

Elijah started towards the stairs. "Please, allow me to escort you to your room."

But Kalypso just scoffed, and walked past him. "Oh please, I don't need an chaperon to my room, I already know where it is. Hell, I know that the bed has green covers, and that there is a copy of 'American Psycho' in the drawer and that I'm going to read it. Although I am confused as to who purchased that…?"

Elijah smiled playfully. "I thought you said your visions didn't work that way?"

Halfway up the stairs, she glanced down at him, grinning bashfully. "They just come, Elijah." And she continued on, until the she was draped in darkness. "Goodnight." She shouted out at last.

As another wave of pain overcame her, Persephone fell unsteadily back onto the arm of her seat, gripping the wound as she felt it start to bleed once more. Elijah noticed, and was immediately by her side, his hands on her shoulders, comforting.

"What's wrong?" He asked, clearly worried.

A shiver ran through her, and Persephone gritted my teeth. "Nothing. I- I just have a headache." Feeling her hand dampen, she tightened her grip, staring at anything that wasn't Elijah.

"Headaches normally originate in the brain, not the neck."

Looking up at him with tired eyes, she sighed and lied. "Elijah… they do when you get as sound as sleep as I do, okay? I'm exhausted, I just can't wait till this is all over."

He helped Persephone back to her feet, and she hid her hand in the pocket of her jeans. "That we can all agree on." He was sturdy as he aided her towards the stairs.

That was when she looked at him, her eyes honest, and her lying façade down. "Thank you."

His lips formed a faint smile. "At my age, I'm a firm believer in chivalry."

Persephone let out a laugh, the quickly faded away into nothingness. He felt her sudden change, and the smile swiftly fell away. "What I mean is. Thank you for helping me, with all of-"

"- _If you ever need something, come back here, and we will be ready. We will be ready for anything, especially the moment when you decide to finish this._ " Word for word, Elijah repeated the thing he said to her over three hundred years ago. "I like to keep my promises."

"But _why_?" She forced further. Elijah just eyed her with confusion. "Why did you even make the promise in the first place?"

His lips downturned into a frown, and he looked at his shoes. Playing with the cuff of his jacket, he finally met Persephone's eyes, his guilt ridden. "I needed to redeem him."

"Who? Who did-" Then she realized. He was talking about Kol. He was talking about redeeming Kol.

"He had even convinced me that he loved you. But after what he did to you, running from you when you were weak and sick, I realized I was wrong. Kol doesn't know what love is, he can't comprehend what it means." Persephone stared off into the distance, focusing on the far darkness of a doorway, her heart lodged in her throat. "He has no honor, he ruined your life in the worst way possible. He had done it many times in the past, but the way you were when he had the dagger in him, the way you reacted…" Elijah trailed off, and she could feel his eyes on her. "It was far worse than I had ever seen before. I knew I needed to atone for what he had caused."

There was nothing Persephone could say, so she nodded, still not looking at him. After placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, he said his goodnights, and was gone, leaving her alone, in the cold courtyard.

Persephone never really minded the cold, as she didn't have a choice. She was always cold; it was probably because of her not respiring so her body never really produced heat. However in that moment, with the cool air biting at her skin, and an icy breeze washing through her hair, she felt colder than usual. Then she understood why.

Because sge was thinking about _him_.

Kol, the one and only person who in her seven hundred years had actually made her feel something other than the cold darkness she seemed lodged in. It was insane, insane that only one person, out of the billions who had existed throughout her lifeline, had been able to make her feel warmth. And it was insane that that one person Persephone knew, who had made her feel what she hadn't had the ability to feel by herself, wasn't true.

He wasn't real.

Nothing of it was real.

Those years they had together, they were fake. She had spent, although in a time sense insignificant, years of her life stuck in this bubble of lovesick insanity that was all lies. Lies and lies and lies.

And Persephone should've hated him for it. She did, she hated him for making a mockery of her, for pretending to love her, and then abandoning her when she was at her sickest. For manipulating her and her past and the fact that she was broken so he could have some fun.

She did. She hated him.

But yet, Persephone couldn't hate him with her whole heart. Even when she saw he was absolutely fine just a couple of days ago, that he had had hardly been affected by me the way she had been by him. Even when she knew that he destroyed her and he continued on living his life. Because despite everything that they had together being fake, despite him lying to her, despite him ruining her life and finally her faith in the world around her, she still had those memories.

Those memories of warmth, the warmth that collapsed around her every time he looked at her, smiled at her, touched her. Those were some of the best memories she had, and Persephone could remember those feelings like they were yesterday.

She knew that any sense of nostalgia she felt over reminiscing over that past was artificial, but Persephone also knew that if she could just forget herself for one moment, one sweet, sweet, moment, that those memories could dance back into her mind, and she could lose herself to the warmth of the past.

That, despite taking everything away from her, and leaving her an empty shell of herself, Persephone found she could not hate Kol for.

Because he left her with those memories, of warmth in insanity.

Persephone would never forget them.

She could never forget them.

_Western Spain – 1700_

_She woke to the most peculiar sight._

_A gown was draped over the armchair in the corner of her room, and next to it, a pair of small white lace gloves. They weren't hers, and they weren't there when she went to sleep. But the dress was stunning, more so than anything she had ever before worn in her life. She thought that maybe it was the servant girl Theresa who had left it there, as earlier in the year she had commented on how Persephone seemed to wear the same three dresses all the time; she had told Theresa that they were all she owned, and the girl smiled sympathetically._

_Theresa was kind, and although she was only a shy maid, Persephone remembered her telling her that when she lived in the village she used to be a seamstress. Maybe she had felt bad for Persephone? Maybe she made it herself, and wanted to impress her? The thought was nice, someone wanting to do something kind like that._

_So, Persephone approached it slowly, and found a small card nestled within the folds of the fabric, in curling handwriting it simply said, "Yours"._

_And I put the gown and the gloves on; for a moment she felt glorious._

_It was soft and light on her skin in the spring weather, made of lilac purple silk, it had a sweet heart neckline that was bordered with ropes of golden thread. The sleeves hung off the edges of her shoulders, and the silken fabric finished at her elbows, but the ends were seamed with white chiffon lace. Although the bustier was plain, around her waist laid a loose hanging chain of diamonds on thread, and the rest of the ruffled full-skirted gown embroidered in gold and silver thread in a paisley pattern, that was encrusted small crystals._

_But then she looked at her reflection in the large mirror, and Persephone saw how beautiful the dress was, yet, it didn't belong on her._

_Or more like, she didn't belong in it, in the gown, because Persephone wasn't made for such beautiful gowns._

_Sighing, she turned away from her reflection, and knew that no matter how much she wanted to belong in the gown, it wasn't for her, and all she wanted to do was take it off. But she didn't want to offend Theresa, because she knew how long it must've taken her to make, and Persephone didn't want to lose the companion she had in her._

_Swallowing her feelings, Persephone left her room, and made her way down the hall._

" _Oh my! You look wonderful!"_

_Smiling small, she turned to see Theresa herself standing at the top of the stairs, her features moved in marvel, and lips in a face splitting grin. Persephone stepped towards her, feeling even more self-conscious than before, and gripped the fabric of the skirt in her hands. "Thank you so much for making this, Theresa, it's a lovely dress. I can only imagine how long it took you to make it."_

_She nodded her head, widening her ashen eyes. "I spent hours and hours each day, I had to ensure that everything was perfect." Squinting slightly, the brunette stepped forward. "I wasn't sure about the color, but I guess he was right in the end."_

_The smile fell off Persephone's face, and her brows furrowed in perplexity about what Theresa was talking about. "What?" She asked dumbly, taken off guard._

" _No, no, no." The girl blurted, quickly holding up her hands, she shook her head vehemently. "I don't mean offence, really, purple looks stunning on you. It's just originally-"_

" _-Who said the color would look good-"_

_Before Persephone could finish her sentence, she heard a deep, long whining sound that cut her off. It continued for many moments, and she just stood, her mouth hanging open, in absolute confusion at the abnormal, but ethereal, sound._

_Completely abandoning her conversation with Theresa, Persephone followed the sound, and made her way down the stairs. It was getting louder and louder with each step she took, and she found herself in the long gallery, where the sound reached its peak._

_Then it ended when she walked through the door._

_And Persephone was speechless at the sight before her._

_She had never seen anything like it._

_There had to be at least twenty people, half of those sectioned off in the corner of the room, standing still and staring blankly ahead. The rest, were together, with magnificent looking instruments, some that she had seen before, like the violins that she realized the deep winding sound had emanated from, but there were others she didn't recognize._

_Suddenly, the pianist started playing a tune, then a violin joined, and although it was sweet, it was also melancholic. Then, the eerie sound of a woman's voice started singing, the words, "Thy hand, Belinda", textured and moving._

_It was haunting. Persephone loved it._

_Standing at the forefront of all of it, was Kol, who looked as though he had the breath, knocked out of his lungs, as he stared at her, dazed. Kol looked as handsome as he normally did, although she would have never told him that. He himself was dressed up, wearing a midnight blue overcoat with edges that were lined in gold, a simple dark grey waistcoat, and inky black breeches._

_Idly stepping forward, Persephone stared at him, not knowing what was happening. "What…" She started, not being able to finish the sentence._

" _You look beautiful."_

_She shook her head at his compliment, and muttered, "I look ridiculous, and this gown doesn't belong on me."_

" _That gown was made for you." Kol shot back, moving forward, he brushed stray strands of hair from her bedhead away from her face. "You look like a queen."_

_Smoothing down the dress, Persephone let out a humorless laugh. "I look like a little girl dressing up in her mother's clothes."_

" _You look like the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."_

_She felt a blush rise up her neck, which made her feel even more self-conscious than previously, and she felt a strange sensation, one that she hadn't felt before, and one that she couldn't identify._

_He held out his hand, a small smile on his lips. "Dance with me."_

_Persephone felt something in her chest skip, and she took his hand. "I don't know how to." And she didn't, having never danced with anyone before, not like she had seen others do._

_Pulling her close, he extended out their holding hands, and wrapped his arm around her waist, which Persephone gripped. "That doesn't matter." Slowly, Kol started swaying along slowly with her to the sound of the music._

_But she was still puzzled. "What_ _**is** _ _this all?"_

" _Dido's Lament, it's not necessarily for dancing, but it's my favorite and-" Stopping mid sentence, he looked down at her, and frowned. "Have you never been to the opera before?"_

_Persephone shook her head slowly, she had heard of the opera from random people speaking of it before, but had never been to it. And listening to the woman sing in her otherworldly voice, she wished she had before, however had never gotten the chance to in the past. It was one of the greatest things she had ever heard; it was to her ears what medicine was to relieve cure pain._

_It was reprieve. Yet…_

" _Was this all you?"_

" _Yes."_

_Frowning, Persephone shook her head, finding that she couldn't answer the question that was in the back of her mind. "Why?"_

_Tilting his head to the side, Kol observed her with trepidation in his eyes. "Do you not like it?"_

" _I love it." Assuring him, Persephone glanced behind his shoulder to the sources of magnificent music, marveling at its greatness. "But… why have you done_ _ **this**_ _? The dress, the music…"_

_He laughed, as if the question was ridiculous. "Why not?" Kol exclaimed back, pulling her in closer towards him._

_She stuttered. "…Be- Because- Because it's a lot of effort to just… it's a lot to do for me…" Trailing off at the last sentence, Persephone became self aware, and realized just how close they were. The grandeur of the music had distracted her from how his fingers were laced tightly through her own, how her body was pressed close to his, and how she could feel his warmth radiate through the fabric, how his hand gently gripped her waist, whilst his thumb simultaneously rubbed small soft circles near her stomach._

" _It was worth it."_

_Persephone met his gaze, and saw a tenderness in his eyes that she had seen him look at here with many, many times before, but never thought of it as anything other than pity. However staring back at him, she saw it for what it really was._

" _And you deserve it, Persephone."_

_It was pathetic, but she felt tears prick her eyes at his words and her heart lodge in her throat. She tried as she could to blink them away, yet it was hopeless, and a few stray ones fell down her cheeks, and she let out a weak whimpering sound. Immediately seeing what was going on, he stopped moving to the music, and cradled Persephone's face between his hands, wiping the tears away._

" _Hey," He murmured, leveling his eyes with hers. "You can let it out if you want."_

_Placing her hand over his, she reached out to cup his cheek, and shook her head. "Thank you." She managed to choke out. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before."_

_The corners of his lips lifted into a smile, and it was small, but she could see the sincerity behind it. "That was the past, this is now."_

" _Thank God." She replied, and they both laughed, and resumed their stance, then moving more than before, stepping backwards and forwards, to the melody. Then she listened closer to what the singers were saying, and looked up to Kol. "What is it about?"_

_Meeting her stare, he was slightly confused. "The song?" When Persephone nodded, he continued. "Well you tell the stories better than I do, but okay. It is about a queen named Dido, who falls in love with a Trojan warrior visiting her town, called Aeneas. However he has to return to Italy, and leave her forever. She is distraught and betrayed, so she has a pyre built, and set aflame so that Aeneas will see from his ship that she had killed herself. Dido sings the lament before stabbing herself, as her lover sails away."_

" _I've been betrayed before, but never by someone I've been in love with, that would just be… unbearable." Persephone replied, her voice soft, and then echoed the woman's words, "Remember me, but forget my fate…"_

_Kol nodded gravely. "She wants to be remembered as the person she used to be, and not who she was in her pain."_

_She let out a breath, and glanced towards the singer, who herself had tears trailing down her cheeks as she sang. "How tragic."_

" _Tragically beautiful."_

_Meeting his eyes, Persephone noticed the way he looked at her, holding her stare, completely unwavering. Kol looked at her in a way… in a way that she couldn't describe, but she liked it._

_All of it._

_How they danced, how he held her, how he looked at her, smiled at her, talked to her._

_It was a curious thing, what he did for Persephone that day, the way they acted with each other, which was far different than anything she had experienced before. But the farther into the day they got, as the sun moved through the sky, and was replaced by the moon, as the choir sang until they lost their voices, as the instrumentalists played until their fingers bled, the more and more of that strange and foreign sensation she had felt when Kol said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, intensified._

_At the end of the day, Persephone realized it was something called serenity._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was officially my longest chapter. I know I can ramble on about some things so during the editing I tried shortening it, but I just couldn't find stuff that I find to be irrelevant. I honestly don't know.
> 
> I spent (no exaggeration) an hour and a half searching up composers from the baroque period of time to find the perfect piece of music to go with the flashback. I really wanted to use these Bach or Händel pieces, but they were both 15 in 1700, so they clearly wouldn't have worked with the timeline, because the pieces didn't exist. Realistically, I didn't need to do this and I could've just said it was "music" playing and I didn't have to specify, but I get really pedantic about details like that.
> 
> So, I really do recommend playing the song, though, even if you aren't playing it along with the flashback, it really is beautiful (although I am a fan of classical music, so maybe I just have the acquired taste for the piece).
> 
> God, these author's notes are just getting longer and longer with each chapter. Sorry about that (I ramble, like I said, kudos to anyone who actually reads all this crap I say). Please review if you have the time to, subscribe if you want to be alerted about the next update (although I would be surprised if you were this far in and hadn't already), kudos if you think I did a good job, and thank you so, so much for reading! X
> 
> Next Chapter – Split into four parts. One is from Bonnie, who has decided to leave Mystic Falls to go to New Orleans, so she can hopefully find a solution to the Elena problem, but also, her guilt. However she does receive some unexpected opposition from someone.  
> Klaus is back, and he goes to fetch Persephone so she can speak to Rebekah and Elijah, however this ends up taking more time than originally thought.  
> Freya finally meets Kalypso, who proposes a plan to Freya that could take them a step further towards their goal.  
> Elijah and others discuss what they are to do with Kol.
> 
>  
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	14. Going Everywhere And Nowhere

" _New Orleans?_ "

Stefan had asked, disbelief evident in his voice, his hands on his hips, and his eye brows furrowed in confusion. It was obvious he disapproved, but it was also obvious Bonnie didn't care what he thought.

She was going to do what she thought was right for myself, for the first time in her life.

"Yes, Elijah Mikaelson invited me there."

Letting out some sort of choking sound, he shook his head. "No, I won't let you go."

So she scoffed, and stepped around him, making her way towards the door. "I wasn't asking for your permission Stefan, I was asking you to guard Kai while I'm gone."

He quickly appeared in front of the door, and looked down on her with his dark hazel eyes, his brows raised. "Have you told him you're leaving? He's not going to like that."

Clenching her jaw, Bonnie easily pushed Stefan to the side, and opened the door, a burst of cold air whipping at her face. "No, I didn't tell him, and I don't need to. What he likes means nothing to me; he's our prisoner, that's all. Honestly Stefan," She turned to face him, her eyes tearing up, probably because of the wind, "I thought you would actually be happy for me. This is what I want. For the first time I'm thinking about me before anyone else. I deserve this, and I just thought that you would think the same."

He looked away with conflicted eyes. "You deserve to be happy Bonnie." He replied quietly, but his hands swiftly tightened into fists, and he looked at her with scrutiny. "But with the _Mikaelsons_? Really, that's where you think you will be happy?"

Shifting the duffel bag in her hand, she nodded slowly. "New Orleans has some of the most powerful witches in the world. And I was thinking, maybe if I could just get onto one of them, then maybe…" Bonnie trailed off, not finishing her point, but Stefan understood.

"Bonnie… you can't. Kai already said that the spell was triggered to make sure if anyone tried meddling with it then you'd both die." He shook his head, and ran his hand through his hair. "It's no use, just come back inside."

"And you really believe him?" She asked.

He looked at my blankly.

"You really want to take him at his word? Because I wouldn't put it past him of all people to just lie about it."

Stefan, however, sighed. "But why wouldn't he have done it? He created the spell to ruin the lives of you and Damon, I doubt he would leave any loose ends."

Although what Bonnie had said was plausible, what Stefan shot back made more sense. But still, she shook her head. "I still need to try." Stubborn, and determined in her effort, she refused to back down.

"No, Bonnie." He said simply. "You need to move on."

Frustrated, she dropped down her bag, and groaned. "Don't you get it? Stefan, I _can't_ move on. I think that if I don't try this lead, then I will never allow myself to move on. Will the witches of New Orleans hold the key to breaking the spell?" Bonnie paused, and he looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "No, probably not. But I still need to try, for the sake of Damon, who's God knows where doing God knows what, for the sake of Elena who is in a coma because _I'm still here_ , and for the sake of myself, because I promised Elena I would move on and live my life, but I just can't seem to shake my guilt away."

He was quiet.

"I'm sorry that I'm leaving you, Stefan, but I'm not immortal. My life is limited to a certain amount of time, and I don't want to spend the rest of it feeling guilty for not at least trying my best to break the spell. You'll get to see Elena again, you'll get to talk to her, touch her, see her smile, and laugh, and live. But I won't." Bonnie took a shuddering breath, as she felt a tear plod down her cheek. "If there is even a slight chance that I can ever experience those things again, then I sure as hell am going to try my hardest. And if I can't, then I know that I tried, and I think I will finally be able to live my life."

Bonnie stepped backwards, and violently rubbed at her eyes.

"So I'm not letting anyone get in my way, not even you Stefan."

"Go."

He said the word softly, with resignation, like he was reluctant, but knew he couldn't do anything about it. She saw that his eyes were glassy, and his breath shaky. If Bonnie had've allowed herself, she would've felt guilty, for leaving him alone. Somehow, she thought he might've found solace in knowing that she was around the past few months, even though they didn't talk much, she thought having her there and available was comforting for him. He knew he wasn't alone. She felt the overwhelming urge to hug him, and she did, walking forward and wrapping her arms around him.

Stefan was surprised at first, and his arms just hung limply at his sides, but soon enough he was hugging Bonnie back. It was strange, but nice, because they both understood each other's pain, to a degree. And when the embrace was over, she stood back, and gave him a watery smile.

"Find your happiness, Bonnie." He said, returning the grin. "Hold on to it and don't let go, because you deserve it more than anyone."

She let out a breath. "We all deserve happiness Stefan."

"Just accept what I said, for Gods sake, you've died enough to deserve it for three lifetimes." He shook his head.

Picking up her bag, Bonnie turned, and started towards her car. But she stopped, and faced back to Stefan. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Bonnie." She almost thought his voice sounded hoarse.

Bonnie shrugged. "Come visit me, in New Orleans sometime, God knows you could use a break as well."

"Can't risk it with Kai." He replied sounding disappointed.

Pulling the bag higher on her shoulder, Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "Maybe Alaric deserves his fair share of his brother-in-law." Stefan let out a shocked laugh. "I don't know," She added, walking away. "Just a thought."

"Goodbye Bonnie."

"Goodbye Stefan." She shouted back, as she slammed her car door, started the ignition, and drove off.

And the drive was long, the motels disgusting, and the clearest radios stations consisting entirely of country music.

Which Bonnie hated.

The two days of her trip to New Orleans wore her down, but when she arrived, Bonnie felt a burst of joy and hope flurry through her.

As she parked her car right outside the limits of the French Quarter, Bonnie came to the realization that she had _no idea_ where she was going. Sure, Elijah had invited her to New Orleans, but that didn't mean it was an invitation to stay with him in his residence, and even if it was, she had no clue where that was located. However the more and more she thought about not knowing where she was going, the less she cared about it. Because she was free, from what felt like _everything_.

So Bonnie decided to reward herself, to christen her first bout of freedom.

Marching down the street, she turned into the first bar she saw. Yeah, it may have been ridiculous to get a drink at three pm in the afternoon, but the bar was open, and she didn't really give a shit. Plus, it was basically empty, but for a few lurkers, so there was no one to judge.

Dropping her bag by a stool, she sat at the counter, and caught the attention of the blonde bartender. Walking towards Bonnie with a glass and rag in hand, she smiled brightly, who was thankful the first person she talked to in the city seemed friendly, it was a positive sign.

"So what can I get for you?"

Bonnie bit her lip. "Can I have a beer please?"

She perked her left eyebrow quickly, and then nodded. "Okay sure, but I'm going to have to see some ID first."

Pulling her wallet from the pocket of her coat, Bonnie took out the card with the horrible picture of her, and passed it over to the bartender. Once she authenticated it and gave it back, she took out a can of Budweiser, poured it in a glass, and pushed it towards her. She said her, "Thanks", and took a triumphant first sip.

"Enjoy."

For a while, Bonnie sat there, drinking the beer, thinking of what she was going to do next. It was pretty quiet, but for the idle chatter of other customers, but they quickly left, and she was soon alone but for the bartender. It was completely quiet.

"Hey you two, welcome back."

The bartender startled Bonnie, and she looked up towards her, then realizing she was speaking to someone else. She walked to the other side of the bar, nearby the door, to talk to the customers who she clearly already knew. "Hey, Cami, how're going?"

The breath was smashed out of Bonnie's lungs, and she went slack jawed, because she knew that voice. Suddenly standing, her stool slamming loudly to the ground, she turned and was met with the sight of someone, actually, two someone's, she never thought she'd see again.

" _Bonnie_?" Tyler blurted out, staring at her with disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" Liv continued, her brows furrowed, and her mouth hanging open.

The bartender- Cami looked between them in confusion.

All Bonnie could say was, "I could ask you the same thing."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Klaus!"

Persephone yelled out, shoving a little sack into the bag that sat on her bed, her eyes wide and irritated.

" _Knocking_."

Slamming the door behind him, Klaus walked over to her arms chair, and collapsed on it, staring at her blankly as she rambled off about how 'it is _common courtesy_ to knock before you enter someone's space' and how she could've been 'in the middle of getting dressed' when he 'stormed' in. Rolling his eyes lazily, he waved her off. "Its not like it wouldn't have been anything I haven't seen before."

Kicking the bag underneath her bed, she marched over to him. "Fuck you." She hissed out, towering over him, her arms crossed, her nails digging into her skin. "Get out."

But Klaus just smirked at her. "But if I leave then you won't know what I came here for…" He said, his voice small and innocent.

"I don't care." She replied bluntly, blinking rapidly. "I seriously can't be bothered to deal with you today."

He was quiet, chewing on the words in his mouth, as she glared at him, slightly trembling and edgy, her irises almost black, her eyes bloodshot, her fingers drumming a fast rhythm against her side, and sweat painting the surface of her skin. Klaus slowly licked his lips, but stayed put, staring back at her, challenging.

"I'm exhausted, and I'm stressed, and talking to you is just going to make those symptoms worse." He let out a small laugh, because he had always liked how she never bothered to hide her aversion to him. "Hell, even being around you now is making me feel sick-"

"-Is that why you snorted cocaine?"

And Klaus watched as Persephone stilled, her lips parted in shock. He could see she was swallowing repeatedly, trying to find something to say. She unconsciously swiped at her nose, maybe trying wipe away any residue. There was none, but he knew what the symptoms of cocaine use were, and she had them. The shaking, the sweating, her pupils dilated, the volatile behavior, and the little sack she was putting in her bag was probably the powder. His lips slowly slipped into a smirk, as she continued to stare at him, her mouth gaping.

"That's a nasty habit, love, it's not healthy, and it is damaging."

Falling to her knees by his side, she looked up at him, pure panic playing out in her eyes. "It's not what it looks like." She whispered, pleading, taking one of Klaus' hands between her clammy ones.

He shrugged. "Please do explain, then."

This retort seemed to take her off foot, and she was once again, left with nothing to say, as it so clearly _was_ what it looked like. He just chuckled, and stood.

"Well, I was sent up here by Rebekah and Elijah to request your presence downstairs, however you obviously are in no state to be seen by them." Pulling his hand from her, Klaus started towards the door. But she scrambled up to her feet, and stood in front of it, blocking his way.

"You're not going anywhere." She stated, leaning fully against the door, her arms extended outwards.

He gave her a look. "You know I _can_ just move you out of the way?"

"Why did they want me downstairs?" She exclaimed, ignoring him.

Klaus stared at her for a moment, and felt something akin to sympathy. She was so out of sorts, looking terrified. He understood, why she took the drugs, in that moment. She was scared, scared of everything. He had never seen it before, but then, he instantly realized she had always been like that. For as long as he knew her, she was constantly petrified of everything around her, people, and everything inside of her, feelings. The drugs numbed that out for her.

"Please tell me." Whispering, Klaus watched as her eyes welled up, and her bottom lip quivered.

He gently laid his hands on her cheeks, gaining her full attention. "Persephone, go to bed, I'll tell them you're tired. You need rest." Holding her head in his hands, she watched him, her eyes wary and skeptical.

"Are you going to tell them?"

She said it so quickly that he almost didn't understand. Hesitating, he thought of the easiest answer. "No."

Ever so slowly, she lifted her left hand to gently lay it on his chest, right over where his heart beat. She let out a long breath that was warm over his lips. Her right hand rose, and she cupped Klaus' cheek, wonder in her eyes. He had no idea what she was doing, and froze, completely still, not knowing what to do. "Why should I believe you?" She asked, her voice breathy and hushed.

Holding his stare, her fingers moved, so they were delicately stroking his cheekbone. And he felt a wave of déjà vu wash over him, and it was as though they were both back on that ship, drunk and stupid and out of it. Except now, she was high on hard drugs, and Klaus was completely sober, knowing that what was about to happen was wrong. "You have no reason to believe me." He responded, hard, stepping back, ripping himself away from her hands, his own falling by his sides. "But you have no other choice, love, so just go to bed."

"It's eleven am, why would I go back to bed?" She countered senselessly.

"You're the one who took cocaine in the morning." Klaus replied, rolling his eyes, suddenly very sick of being around her, just like she said she was of him when he came in.

"I still don't believe you won't tell anyone." Once again, she spread her arms out, attempting to stop him from exiting through the door, even though it was a helpless effort.

"You have to believe me, there is no other alternative." Rubbing his temples, Klaus thought of what excuse he could use for the others downstairs for taking to long.

Suddenly, she was in front of him, staring at him with dead eyes. "Not if I compel you." Persephone said quietly.

Klaus clenched his jaw. "That would not be advisable."

But she came on to him, grabbing his face; she started shouting, "KLAUS FORGET-"

So he did what he had to do, and snapped her neck. She fell, limp, against him, and that was when he saw it.

The peculiar marking.

Dragging her over to her bed, Klaus laid her down on her face, and pulled back her hair to inspect it. This just raised more questions, however.

Spelling out the word that Klaus had been called so many times in angry red strokes, he wondered how the hell it even came to appear there. The wound looked relatively new, as it was still slightly bloody, and not marred flesh like what an old scar would be. It was neat, clearly done by some handy knife work, so it mustn't have been her who did it, as the position was too awkward and it wouldn't be so straight. Another query was then, who scarred her skin with that word? That was the ultimate question.

The wound must have been inflicted in the past two days, and considering she had been trapped inside the compound the whole time, it had to have been an inside job. And in the past few days, only Marcel, Freya, and Hayley had been around, as well as servants. Klaus knew it couldn't have been any of them, as it made no sense. None of them were exceedingly violent, and he was sure that they had no reason to write such a vile word on her. The person who inflicted it had to have _loathed_ Persephone.

But the only other alternative was… that it was someone from the outside.

It was worrying, to say the least, that a clear enemy of hers had come in. And she had to have been awake when it was done, or at least had a faint idea of whom it was who did it. Yet, she hadn't told anyone.

Klaus shook his head; he hadn't the time to dawdle about it. Yes, the situation could've been potentially serious, but he wouldn't be able to find out until she came to again. So, pulling back the covers, he arranged her comfortably, and pulled them over. He didn't know how long it would take for her to recover. Maybe because she was in the midst of a drug-fused frenzy, she wouldn't even remember he had snapped her neck…

He wasn't going to tell anyone, about the wound or the drugs. When he told her that at first, Klaus was being honest. He knew he should've, but he honestly didn't see the problem with it.

In terms of the lesion, he decided he needed to confront her on it by himself. He was certainly one of the last people she wanted to talk about that kind of thing with, but if Klaus told Rebekah about it, she'd just get all shouty and accuse Persephone about a breech of trust, or whatever rubbish. Elijah would see it as too personal to talk about, and she didn't know Hayley or Marcel very well. As much as he disliked the idea of speaking about it, he needed to make sure that there was no reason to be worried about any threats. He was about to walk out, when Hayley barged in.

"What is all the-" She stopped mid sentence, when she saw Persephone 'asleep' in her bed. Hushing her voice, she continued, "shouting about?"

Rolling his eyes, Klaus walked past her, "Persephone sleep screams occasionally, it's completely normal." He muttered, about to leave.

Hayley, however, wasn't following him, and instead walked over to her, climbed up on the bed, and gently shook her shoulder. "Persephone," She whispered, "wake up."

Stopping in the doorway, he looked at Hayley in alarm. "What are you doing?"

Turning around, Hayley sighed. "She shouldn't be asleep so late, Rebekah and Elijah need to talk about-"

"-Persephone hardly gets any sleep at all." He interjected; trying to come up with any excuse he could to stop Hayley from trying to wake her, because Klaus knew Persephone wasn't going to come to any time soon. "Let her sleep for once."

Opening her mouth, Hayley started to speak, but thankfully was interrupted by Rebekah joining in on what was becoming a small gathering. Stopping in her tracks, she stared at Hayley in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I don't think she should be sleeping this late, especially when you were discussing what to do with Kol." Hayley said, sitting awkwardly in the center of the bed next to Persephone, looked at Klaus pointedly.

Rebekah, however didn't notice, and instead crossed her arms, and pursed her lips. "I think it's best we leave her out of that decision, it's not her choice."

Letting out a sigh, Hayley crawled across the bed, and stood. Walking past Klaus, she grabbed him forearm, and started dragging him with her.

"What are you doing?" Rebekah and Klaus asked in sync, his tone one more of outrage as she manhandled him.

Stopping in the doorway, Hayley gave him a look. "We have a daughter, Klaus, if you don't remember. And it's been days since we all spent some time together." She sounded angry, and he couldn't help but feel guilt over neglecting Hope, because she was right, and he _had_ truly missed her.

"Okay, lets go then." Klaus replied, snatching his arm away from her grasp. He turned to Rebekah, as Hayley stormed off. "You know what I think about the Kol subject, therefore my presence is not needed in the 'meeting'."

Rebekah flared her nostrils, and clenched her jaw, but said nothing. So he turned away, and followed after Hayley, ready to spend some much needed time with their daughter.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ah, the mysterious and newly rediscovered Freya Mikaelson."

The woman stated as she sauntered into the room. Flattening down her skirt, Freya made her way over to the witch with whom she was to work with, holding out her hand for her to shake. "Yes, that's me, and you are?"

A coy smile slithered onto her lips, and she took her hand, with a firm grip. "Kalypso."

Nodding curtly at her sudden change of composure, from unrefined to professional, Freya retracted her hand, and took a step back, gesturing to the table behind them. She had already laid out many scrolls, spells, and materials for them to look at. "It's very nice to meet you Kalypso, shall we start?"

Freya walked over to her chair, but found Kalypso stood staring at her, unmoving. It was… strange, to say the least.

Her lips formed a thin line. "Is there a problem?"

"We've met before."

This information took Freya aback. Searching Kalypso's face in vain, she found that she could not recognize it. But then again, Elijah had told her that she jumped bodies, so that was expected. However, she could not remember ever meeting someone of the name of Kalypso.

"I went by the name of Estelle, back then, she was the witch I was in." It was as though she had read Freya's thoughts, and she nodded slowly, still unable to remember ever meeting someone named Estelle. "It was early 1914, actually right here in this city. I was a French quarter witch, buying sage from a little herbal store, you bumped into me."

This still did not jog Freya's memory.

"It was only brief, but I could never forget what I saw when we touched..." And Freya felt sick at the thought of what she might've seen, but before she could comment, Kalypso shook her head, as if snapping out of a trance. Quickly, she seated herself in the chair beside Freya's, and started looking at a piece of parchment. "That has no matter now, there are other things to do."

Swallowing, she joined the oracle, and started flicking her way through a spell book. "I have found it extremely difficult to find any material upon gorgons whatsoever. I understand that their beginning dates back to before vampires, werewolves, or even magic, but I still don't understand how there is _nothing_ to find upon the matter."

Kalypso pursed her lips, not looking up. "That's the point, there is not meant to be anything to find about them, because the curse is not ever meant to be broken. Just ended." Glancing at Freya, she perked her eyebrows. "But we can't have that happen, can we?"

Freya shook her head, and sighed quietly. She knew that the task ahead was to be tedious, but it had to be done, for the sake of magical beings everywhere. Her included.

Popping her lips, Kalypso dropped down the scroll, and looked at her. "Okay, I going to be honest with you." She started, her voice blunt. "I think that all this looking at dusty old books and flaky pieces of paper is useless, and that there is only one way to actually make progress and find something out."

She stared back at the witch next to her, waiting to hear of her theory; she however, seemed hesitant to reveal it. "Well, it's no use just keeping it to yourself, if you think it may work. Tell me."

Sitting back in her seat, she poised her hands in front of her, as if trying to find the words to explain what she wanted to say. After a few moments of staring off into the distance, with her mouth opening and closing, with Freya watching patiently, Kalypso dropped her hands, and turned to her. "We need one of the hunters."

Freya made a face, and frowned. Her idea did have potential to help, but… "How are we supposed to get one of them?"

She bit her lip. "We need bait."

And it all came crashing down. _That_ was why she was so hesitant to share her theory, because it was completely implausible. "Well, that's not going to work, so we can just put that to rest." Freya stated, disappointed, resuming reading the page in the spell book.

"Not if we transfer some of Persephone's magic into an object as a beacon for them."

She stilled. Freya's mind was moving at a million thoughts a minute as she considered what Kalypso had just suggested. It made complete sense, Persephone was a gorgon, and that meant she had magic in her. And being the only gorgon left, that meant she had a very specific, and identifiable kind of magic in her. They would be able to recognize it. If they were just able to transfer but a small strand of it into some sort of beacon, that could draw one of them out, and then…

"I don't know if it's possible, but-"

"-It's perfect." Freya said, raking her mind for a spell. "I've done something similar, for my niece, Hope." Tapping her fingers against the table rapidly, she looked up to Kalypso's dark eyes, and licked her lips. "It'll work."

She smiled ruefully, and held her hands up. "Okay, lets not get too excited about it, we need to sort some things out before we try it. We don't know how dangerous it might to to try and break apart any of Persephone's magic, it could be detrimental to the rest of us…"

Freya stood, and nodded. "I need to go fetch some resources, you stay, create a structure for how we will do it, and tie up any lose ends. We need to get this done, and _fast_. We don't have the luxury of time."

With that, she started towards the door, but turned back, a grim expression on her face as she looked across at Kalypso, who stared back at her with wide eyes.

"We gotta get this done for today."

And Freya left before she could even think to reply. There wasn't the time for talking.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Rebekah you know we can't just keep him like this. It's unethical, and the longer we leave him here, the angrier he will be when he wakes."

Her blue eyes widened, her hand went to her chest, and she looked appalled. "Don't you think I _know_ that Elijah?" Rebekah replied, waving her hands about. "But we have opposition." Both of them turned to Marcel.

He held up his hands. "He's already lost it and killed four people guys, and I can't even begin to imagine what he will be like if he wakes up, and see's her."

"But if we send him away somewhere else, maybe London, far from this chaos-" Rebekah started.

"-He'll just come back." Marcel finished. Raising his eyebrows, he glanced back to the closed coffin behind him. "Look, Kol is the most violent, impulsive, and unpredictable person I know, but he's not stupid."

Rebekah huffed, and crossed her arms next to Elijah.

"He's gonna suspect something if he wakes up in England. I can assure you, he will just come back and that will be a lot worse." Despite the fact that they were both arguing, Marcel still looked at Rebekah with a softness in his eyes. He always had an expressive face, and that was intensified every time he was around Rebekah. And it used to be the same when she was around him, she acted differently, spoke differently, whenever he was around, yet that all ceased with Rebekah when she came back to New Orleans after her time away. "It'll be too much to have to deal with the Persephone issue, whilst having to try and fend Kol off from snooping, which he will."

With her eyes welling up with tears, she brushed her hair from her face, and nodded in agreement. She seemed unable to say anything, but Elijah knew that was because if she opened her mouth, she would break down.

Ever since Kol had died from Finn's hex, she had been especially protective of him, like she felt she had an obligation towards him. Kol trusted Rebekah more than he did any of them, and they were both extremely invested in each others lives, and happiness. Rebekah didn't want to lose that trust, because she knew, they all knew, that he didn't give it out easily enough.

"We don't actually know how he would react if were were to wake him."

Both of their heads snapped to Elijah, Marcel with a suspicious expression on his face, and Rebekah's hopeful.

"He's not going to remember anything of Persephone, and who says he will want to stay here?" He continued on, explaining his theory. "Marcellus, you believe that he will stick around and eventually find out. But where is your evidence? The way you look at Kol today is exactly the same as the way you saw Kol as a young boy in 1821, and that makes your opinion biased against him."

Elijah saw his face visibly darken at the mention of the Hamlet event.

"I believe that Kol has many, many issues." He turned to Rebekah, who looked away from him. "But I don't approve of your methods, of clearing his memory. We had no idea what Kol might've done when he saw Persephone."

Marcel stepped forward, shaking his head, with his hands on his hips. "With all due respect Elijah, you weren't there, neither of you were. Now you are right, I have seen Kol at his worst, and his worst, was when he found out from me that Persephone was here. I had never seen him like it."

"But that was when he thought we had betrayed him." Rebekah piped up, walking over to the coffin, and laying her hands flat out on it. "Kol trusted me, and I betrayed him…" She whispered to herself, her voice small.

Making his way over to her, Elijah put his hand over hers, comfortingly. "You did what you had to do, Rebekah, for the wider picture." He gave Marcel a pointed look. "Kol doesn't appreciate when his trust is broken. You heard Rebekah, he thought she betrayed him, with someone he had an extremely complicated, and strained, relationship with. It comes as no surprise he was furious."

Breathing sharply through gritted teeth, Marcel fisted his hands, and shook his head adamantly. "Like I said Elijah, you didn't see him, I have never seen anything of the sorts. I had no idea what was going on with him, and Cami? She was terrified, she told me it was like he was possessed-"

"-Have you ever been betrayed by someone you love, Marcel?" Rebekah hissed cruelly across the room. "Because I have, and it makes you want to die. I can only imagine how Kol felt when he found out that us, his brothers and sister, had betrayed him with the one he loved, who abandoned him."

Rebekah's viewpoint on Kol and Persephone's relationship was always unwaveringly on Kol's side. She had always believed in him, even when Niklaus told her that Kol was leaving Persephone when she was sick, she didn't believe a word he said, even though Niklaus was the one who was with Kol before he daggered him, and knew exactly what he was doing. Elijah had always found it peculiar, her faith in their little brother, whom even he thought was irredeemable. But maybe that was because he _knew_ Kol was unable to comprehend what loving someone meant. Nonetheless, he had never said anything to her about it, because he knew that there had to be at least _one_ person who had some faith in Kol, and that was Rebekah.

"So please, don't try and tell me that you had never seen anything like it, that it was like he was possessed. Marcel, because he bloody was, he was possessed by his anger, and hurt." She sniffed, and blinked back her tears. "Unlike me, Kol is unable to control that."

By then, Marcellus looked completely defeated, as he stared at Rebekah, clearly reflecting upon his past with her, and clearly regretting it, and feeling guilt over it. Even Elijah could feel the tension in the air, and as suffocating as it was, he had no choice but to be apart of it. For his little brother.

"Elijah will undagger him, and I will explain to him." Rebekah started, her voice now longer wavering, and her face dutiful. "I will explain to him that you, Marcel, and Nik, had no choice but to dagger him because he was going out of control. That he had finally broken from what being dead for all those months had done to him, because I know that it had profoundly affected him. I will tell him he finally lost control." She removed her hands from the surface, and marched around the casket, her hands folded in front of her. "I will tell him that you and Nik intended to keep him daggered for a while, but Elijah and I woke him behind your backs."

Marcel nodded.

"I will advise him to run." Elijah continued, knowing what Rebekah would say. "And he will, because he will trust what both of us are saying, because we will be the ones saving him against you and Niklaus's will. The three of us will have a common enemy, and that will create trust."

"It's a sure-fire plan, Marcel." With that, she turned, and lifted the lid of the coffin, to reveal Kol. He was grey with thick dark veins running over his body, his hands crossed neatly over his chest, one hand cupping the dagger that protruded from over his heart. Tenderly, she brushed away hair from his eyes, and shot Marcel a hard, cold look. "You must leave, now."

He looked… sad. That was the only word that could describe the way in which Marcel tore his eyes away from Rebekah's, and then left. But Rebekah didn't seem to notice.

"Where will you tell him to run to?"

She asked the question without once looking at Elijah, instead, keeping her eyes glued to Kol. "I hadn't planned on anywhere in particular, just to run. Kol is perfectly capable of that."

But she turned to his, her brows furrowed, and her face one of fear. "We can't loose him again, Elijah. We can't."

He wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her. It felt like it had been a long time since he had shown that kind of affection with Rebekah, but he could tell that she needed it. Softly patting her on the back, Elijah felt dampness on his shoulder, and pulled away, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Rebekah, you needn't worry about Kol not coming back, he always comes back. And if he doesn't, we will be able to find him. It won't be for long, and this battle should be short. But you are not betraying him, you need to know that."

Taking a deep breath, Rebekah nodded. She stepped back, and leaning over Kol, she braced her hand around the silver handle of the blade. "I believe you, Elijah." And he knew that was Rebekah's indirect way of saying thank you, something many people seemed to have difficulty in saying to him, especially those who were related to him.

Elijah couldn't help but hold his breath, waiting.

"Get ready, Kol." Rebekah muttered to herself.

It was quiet, as he braced himself.

"Elijah?"

An unfamiliar voice called, and Elijah heard the sound of two sets of footsteps walking into the room. Turning around in frustration, he was met with the sight of some blonde, curly haired woman, and none other than Tyler Lockwood. It seemed it was the woman who announced his name.

However before he could respond as to what in the world they were doing in their home, Rebekah beat his to it.

"Olivia? Tyler? Bloody hell, I'm quite busy here, get out!" She yelled out in impatience, shooing them away.

Tyler, however, was turned pale and wide-eyed. "Kol Mikaelson? But he's meant to be…"

"Out! Both of you!" Rebekah shouted, barging forward, ignoring Tyler. Elijah stood, silent, watching the scene unfold in front of him, quite confused as to why they were there, and why Rebekah knew they were there, and had excluded to tell him. Or Niklaus. However, considering his relationship with the Lockwood boy, he found that part less puzzling.

"There's someone here for Elijah." Olivia blurted out.

He was confused as to who was there to see him, but also why the woman of whom Elijah didn't even know, decided to relay the message to him in person. But soon enough, it made a lot of sense, as that someone came in the room.

"Ah, Ms. Bennett." He said, smiling politely, as all the pieces came into place, and things started to make sense. "I see you decided to take upon my offer."

Grinning shyly, she shrugged. "Yeah, I thought-"

She stopped mid sentence, however, stilling, the smile slipped off her lips, and went white as a sheet.

"Is… Is that Kol Mikaelson? _Alive_?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Yes." Rebekah replied evenly, shooting Elijah a look, wondering when in hell had had invited _Bonnie Bennett_ over to reside in their home. He was always bloody worrying about repaying peoples actions, that was, in her opinion, one of his most irritant qualities.

"How…?" The Lockwood boy whispered.

Crossing her arms and jutting out her jaw, Rebekah looked between the scared looking werewolf, the bored looking blonde witch, and the sickly looking witch. "That's none of your concern. In fact, if any of you intend to stay here, you should bloody well stop sticking your noses into our business. Despite you all receiving invitations to dwell here, they were not from me, and I will not hesitate to kick you out if you take one wrong step."

Shrugging, Liv took Tyler's hand, and started towards the door, however he stood, still. "You're not going to take that dagger out, are you?"

Rebekah stepped forward threateningly, pondering who in the hell he thought he was to even ask her such a question, however Elijah, laying his hand over her arm, held her back and answered the boy. "Tyler," He started, strolling forward in that ever civil, but thinly veiled threatening manner, "I do suggest you heed my sisters demand, for I cannot say what she will do. Rebekah can be quite sensitive when it comes to Kol."

Mindlessly, Bonnie stumbled forward, and towards the coffin. Rebekah hissed, "What do you think you're-"

But she raised her hand, and slowly trailed her fingers over his face, delicately. Rebekah had no idea what her intentions were, however they seemed to have no intent to harm him, so she decided not to snap her neck. As well as that, she knew she would get in trouble with Elijah if she harmed his guest. "He's really here…" Bonnie whispered softly to herself, and Rebekah could hear her little heart hammering against her ribs.

"The witches of the French Quarter are extremely powerful, Ms. Bennett, as I told you." Elijah replied quietly.

She nodded, and pulled her hand away from him, turning around to face Tyler and Liv. Her eyes were wet with tears. "I'm here to see if I can bring Elena back." She said to them, her voice thick.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes and wonder how Elena still managed to have a friend in Bonnie despite the way she saw her treat the witch, Rebekah glanced to Elijah, and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't know if it will even work, but I need to try." She continued on to the two. "If an Original vampire can be brought back from ashes, then I have faith that there is a chance we can bring Elena back."

"Does Damon know?" Tyler asked, a look of stupid confusion painting his face.

"No but-"

"-Okay, this is a lovely meet up, however I have things to do, and you know what?" Rebekah looked between Olivia and Bonnie. "So do both of you, my sister Freya requires your help, and if you both wish to remain living to be able to complete your pathetic little missions that drive your reasons for being here, you shall both help her."

They all left hastily after her threat, knowing better then to piss her off more than once in the day.

Relieved, and mentally exhausted after having to hear about Bonnie's sad little plan, Rebekah faced Elijah, and started towards Kol.

"Thank god that's over," She muttered, breathing a sigh of relief, "now we can finally wake Kol."

And without any response, she abruptly jerked her arm upwards; the dagger slid out with ease. Rebekah discarded it dramatically across the room. Tentatively, Elijah walked up to beside her. He watched as the color returned to Kol's face, and the veins deflated from his skin. "He's waking up quite quick." Elijah muttered to himself.

"Well he was only daggered for a couple of days, not a century like normal." She snapped back, sharper than she had intended. Walking over to the table by the door and picking up the blood bags she had ready, Rebekah felt slight worry set in, as the back of her mind said, ' _What if the blonde witches spell didn't work?_ _What if when he wakes up he'll be just as livid as he was before he was daggered?_ '

She shook her head, because Rebekah knew that it was too late to back out of what she had just done.

Kol was coming back, either hating the world around him, or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep moving forward.
> 
> I'm afraid to say that from now on updates may not be as regular as in the past, and may take a bit longer than usual. The main reason why are because I've always been many chapters ahead of what I'm publishing, but I'm finally catching up, and as well as this, I will be getting a big influx of school that I have been putting off, so I will have less time to write. I want to stress that I'm not stopping this story, it just will take longer for me to update, and I'm really sorry about that, however I will spend as much of my free time as possible writing because I love this story, and the thought of leaving it unfinished... that's not even a consideration. The quality of the writing will not be changing either. Honestly, it shouldn't be too much of a difference, but I thought I should just mention it so you don't think I've stopped writing, because I haven't, I just have less time to. I appreciate everyone who follows this story so much, and I hope that the updates not being as frequent won't put you off.
> 
> Please review if you can, I take all opinions into consideration, subscribe if you want to be alerted about future updates, and kudos if you think I've done a good job. Thank you for reading! X
> 
> After doing some self reflection, I have decided I am going to reevaluate what I have written up for the next few chapters, because I know that the story being so slow isn't fair on you, even I'm getting annoyed with myself. So I must say that I honestly don't know what is going to be in the Next Chapter, I know that it will be from Kol's point of view. I may potentially split it in two and have another half from Persephone.
> 
> It's going to be a big one.
> 
>  
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	15. Emptiness And Decayed Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day or so after publishing the previous chapter, I decided to change the ending (altered and extended it), which has definitely had a large effect on how the rest of the story goes. So maybe just check it out to ensure you've read it.
> 
> This chapter was written whilst I listened to [this composition](https://soundcloud.com/markisham/12-american-crime-1), basically on repeat. I find it extremely poignant, and think it goes with the feel of this chapter. It has no lyrics and is purely instrumental, so it's easy to have on in the background whilst reading. Again, it's not necessary to listen to but it inspired me when writing, and it's really just beautiful.
> 
> Thank you, I hope you enjoy. X

Shooting up, Kol gasped out a harsh breath, sucking the oxygen back into his depleted lungs as he felt the blood in his body resurface to his skin. He instantaneously winced at the sharp pain that cut through his heart, and shut his eyes. Grasping at his chest, he felt the material of his clothes stained with what felt like dry blood, and beneath that, a healing wound.

He had been daggered.

Quickly, he looked up and around, gaining he bearings. Kol noticed that he was in the dimly lit coffin room, sitting upright in his black cushioned casket. And he wasn't alone, as Rebekah was smiling as she stood by him, and Elijah not so far behind, a wary expression on his face. They both watched his with interest in their eyes, as if they were waiting for something to happen.

Kol was instantly furious about the situation he was in, however was too weak to do anything about it.

" _Why?_ " He hissed, in reference to the dagger Rebekah had just pulled from his heart. But as he spoke, Kol felt a dull throbbing deep inside his skull, and it swiftly radiated out to the rest of him, soaking through the tissue of his organs and muscles, to the core of his bones. Everywhere hurt.

It was abnormal.

He had never had such an ache when he'd been undaggered in the past. When Kol had been neutralized for a long time, he normally awoke with something akin to the world's worst hangover, however what he was feeling in that moment felt more ingrained inside his veins. It wasn't a headache that pounded his mind, or fatigue that drained his almost bloodless body, it was something else, and the pain went so much deeper than all of that.

"Kol." Rebekah blurted out loudly, her eyes glimmering and almost panicked looking. "You have only been daggered for a few days. You need to hurry up, and you must leave New Orleans immediately-"

Hunched over, he held his hand up, stopping her mind sentence. Kol wasn't interested in how long he had been daggered for, or whatever shit excuse she came up with to get rid of him.

He wanted to know _why_ he was there in the first place.

She threw some blood bags into his lap, her hands shaking, and he could hear her heart thumping in her chest, and what was even stranger, was that he could also hear a slight murmur in Elijah's heart beat, which was normally as steady as a drum. There was just a feeling in that atmosphere that was… off.

Something wasn't right.

It wasn't only because of the way they were acting, or because it appeared they wanted to get him out of New Orleans as soon and as ignorant as possible. It was also a gut feeling, something that accompanied the chronic pain that told me Kol was missing something. He knew he had pretend to be unknowing, he could tell they weren't going to tell him anything, they just wanted him gone as soon as possible. He needed to know their true intentions.

Kol picked up the blood bags, and started drinking, giving them the appearance of docility, but in reality his mind was ticking a thousand thoughts a second, trying to understand what the hell was wrong, because he knew that something was. But he couldn't _think_ properly, the pain in his mind was almost blinding and his memory of the past few days was faded. Nothing was making sense.

But Rebekah continued on rambling out excuses, as Kol just waited for her to slip up.

"Marcel and Nik daggered you because they thought you were getting out of control. I think they are being ridiculous control freaks, and that daggering is too severe of a punishment, especially considering they wanted to leave you here for a few decades! They don't know we are doing this, so you must leave immediately before they discover, it's not safe for you here." Rebekah recounted the 'events' flawlessly, without one stutter; despite her heart pattering like a hummingbird, and the sweat he could see breaking out across her skin.

As Kol drained the last bag, he could feel their eyes burn through him as they watched him carefully, waiting for a response. He said nothing, and instead carefully laid the plastic sack down on his lap, and looked up at them, his expression blank. He observed them shift on their feet. Elijah's heart skipped a beat.

"There isn't much time!" Rebekah cried out quickly, taking shaky breaths, as she stared at him with wide eyes. The best thing about Rebekah was that she had such expressive, readable eyes, and the way she was looking at him in that moment, the way her eyes flickered away from his and her pupils dilated, told Kol she was lying.

Yet he remained silent.

"I think it would be foolish of you to stay here any longer Kol." Elijah spoke out for the first time, and Kol wasn't surprised to hear how his voice was completely steady, he was always the best liar. "You know how Niklaus will react if he finds out we helped you escape, you're putting not only yourself, but us in jeopardy."

At this, Kol replied, letting out a humorless laugh. "Ah yes, I'm the Hades of this family, the one who brings trouble to everyone else, and who most people believe is better off away from others, down in the underworld." He jeered at the idea that it was him who was putting them in danger, because that was their excuse every time they found it too hard to put up with him.

Rebekah let out a shuddering breath, and shook her head; tears brimming her eyes making them shine a bright pastel blue. "That's not true, Kol." She moved forward and took his reluctant hand between hers. "We love you more than you could know."

That was when Kol knew they were definitively hiding something, because they didn't just do that. Mikaelsons didn't just throw that word around at each other. They didn't.

Taking a deep inhale, Elijah stepped forward, nodding. "Because of _that_ , you know we had no choice but to help-"

" _-Her, she is now the only one left, she is weak…"_

The phantom voice of Elijah cut through his real one, and Kol's sight blackened, his hearing rushed with white noise. He could feel nothing but the sensation of those unspoken words of Elijah's echo around his skull, like a pounding drum that got louder and louder the more and more he listened to them repeating in his head. They made no sense; he didn't know what was happening to him or why that phrase he had never heard before so suddenly took over everything around him. It possessed Kol so abruptly, and then it was gone.

And all he was left with was the remnants of the unsaid words, confusion over what had happened to him, and wondering who was the 'her' that was being spoken. But Kol had a strange feeling that it had something to do with the pain he had been feeling and what they were hiding from him.

And then it all made sense.

He had been daggered for a few days, completely defenseless and at anyone's will. Kol didn't know why he had been daggered, and his memory of the event or the days preceding it was non-existent. Ever since he had been awoken, he had been plagued with an intense kind of pain that could only be achieved by one thing.

Magic.

The phantom voice of Elijah's in his mind that blinded him wasn't phantom at all, it was real, and the words had been said to Kol before. His memory of the days before wasn't lost; they had been taken from his. He hadn't been daggered because of Niklaus and Marcel; he had been daggered because he found out something he wasn't meant to know.

And Kol's family took his memories because of it. But they were coming back.

"…Kol?"

He snapped his eyes back open at the sound of Rebekah tentative voice, and he saw that the two of his siblings were staring at him with saucer eyes, in their iris's pure and blatant fear swam about.

"…Are you-"

"Who is she?"

Rebekah's voice caught in her throat, and Elijah faltered back. The tension in the room could've been cut with a knife as Kol waited seconds for their responses, even though he knew he wasn't going to get one, because they were lying to him.

They lied to Kol.

They took his memories, and from the silence it was because of this 'her'.

So he shot out the coffin, and cracked his neck to the side, ignoring the screaming agony that he felt in every single bone in his body, and ignoring the sound of more voices and unsaid words echoing around his head. Kol saw Elijah and Rebekah give each other side-glances, and he quickly spotted the dagger that laid in the corner of the room. He flashed over there and picked it up himself before either of them could even begin to comprehend the idea.

Kol wasn't going to let them get rid of him again so quickly.

"Who is _she_?"

They were both deadly silent, watching his hand that gripped the dagger in horror, because they knew exactly what that meant for them. Running forward, he shoved Rebekah against the adjacent wall, dipped the tip of the dagger between her ribs, and watched as she shivered and choked violently as Kol let it graze against the tissue of her heart. She could hardly breathe, and she was one jerk movement away from being neutralized, which was exactly where he wanted her.

"Tell me now, sister, because as every second ticks by this dagger is moved further and further into your heart." Kol threatened, his voice but a slither in her ear, but the warning no less deadly. He could feel her heart thump against the blade with every beat, and he could hear her breathing accelerate into short and sharp gasps.

Despite his grave threat, she still shook her head, tears plodding down her cheeks as she sucked as much air in as possible without further injuring herself. She reached her hand out and grabbed for his cheek, her fingers softly grazing beneath his eye. "Kol," She wheezed out, "You need to calm down-"

" _-And stop being so paranoid."_

" _Then why did Marcellus tell me of some white haired, yellow eyed girl who was staying in the compound, and commanded to stay within those limits?"_

No.

No, no, no, no.

It couldn't…

"… _You, my so called brothers and sister, you all mean nothing to me. No more will I allow you to push me on the outs of your trio, no more will I allow you to ask for my help when you finally decide to include me, and no more, will I care about any of you."_

The words, the phrases, the sentences, the memories washed over him like a suffocating tidal wave; Kol couldn't do anything to stop them. They all came at once and he was completely blinded by-

" _What girl?"_

" _Stephanie, Sephone… All I know is that she has to stay indoors and not go out the compound, they won't tell me any more yet."_

" _ **Leave**_ _."_

"ELIJAH!" Rebekah screamed, shattering the scenes that misted Kol's mind, and before he could even know what he was doing, he had already pushed the dagger completely through Rebekah's heart, leaving her to fall neutralized and harmless, and cracked a charging Elijah's neck, letting him collapse to the floor, limp and dead.

His heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't breath, then he couldn't hear, then he couldn't see, and then he couldn't feel anything but it all coming back to him.

" _Now Bex, I'm giving you one last chance to be honest with me."_

" _Kol, all you do is worry that we're all planning to dagger you in the back."_

" _Rebekah… Tell me why we are boarding Persephone in the compound?"_

"… _We must end the hunters plans for her death, for the sake of her life, for the sake of our own lives, and the millions of other vampires, witches, werewolves and etcetera. Before we all die out as a result."_

" _You are betrayers."_

And like that.

The pain was gone, and Kol knew what had happened, what they had done to him, and why they had done what they had done to him. They hadn't trusted him with the knowledge that… she was in New Orleans, and staying in their residence. So instead of getting rid of her, they tried to get rid of him, because he was just disposable to them.

But that wasn't important. There was no one there to stop Kol, no Camille, Nik, Hayley, Marcellus, Freya, Elijah or Rebekah.

They were all gone, and he was going to do what he wanted.

So he followed them, the sounds of footsteps and ruffling that had been so loud ever since Kol had woken up, but hadn't noticed because he was too busy trying to figure out what Rebekah and Elijah were hiding from him, when in reality it was right there hanging in the air. The sounds of her.

It was across the courtyard which was so empty, up the creaking stairs, and though the halls wherein Kol found the door. The thick, heavy, wooden mahogany colored door the separated her and him. The door that was just a door but was so much more because it was the cut between their lives that had been so far apart for so long, the life that became so paramount to him that he thought of it as his own. Behind that door was the reason as to why he had been daggered, as to why his family had taken his memories and betrayed him and lied to him. The door hid the one who had done so much to him that he had never been the same; it kept her safe, kept her in the dark as to what she had done.

He wasn't going to let it do that anymore.

It all felt like a dream, like it wasn't really happening to him, like he was far away from what was occurring, and Kol was just watching it all through a looking glass.

Yet everything felt so much more intense, the colors, the smells, the sounds, the feelings. It was all so much sharper.

And when he saw her, Kol knew he had fallen back down the rabbit hole.

"Persephone."

She looked the same. Her hair was still the snow white mess it had always been, she was still lanky and dressed in horrible clothes, her hands were still fisted tightly by her sides, her eyes were still golden yellow and terrified as they looked at him, and she still had no heart beat or breath or sign of life. But then she looked different as well, in the small things, like how her eyes were rimmed in red and bruised with purple bags, or how she desperately gripped the orange pill bottle in her hand, or how she shook slightly like she was in a perpetual state of fear. She seemed smaller, more defeated, like she was on her last legs.

She was the same and different and it was really her and he was really there.

It hurt.

 _God_ , it hurt to see her.

Kol hated it, he really did. How he had pushed every single thought and memory of her out of his mind into nothingness so he didn't have to put up with those… feelings. Yet at the sight of her and uttering of her name, he felt like he was… Like he was dying all over again.

He had died before, many, many times. Kol had been stabbed and tortured and crushed and suffocated and been killed in all of the possible ways to kill someone. He had been dead before, he had been conscious whilst simultaneously dead. But none of it ever felt as bad as it did when he used to think of her and what she did. Because _that_ made him want to die in no way he had ever wanted to before, and it all made Kol feel like he was dying. Two sensations that he hadn't thought could possibly ever be simultaneous until he experienced them.

She was the only person who had ever had that affect on him before, and so Kol had ignored the stupid thoughts and feelings. He didn't want to deal with them; he didn't _need_ to deal with them. Why deal with unnecessary pain? There was no point, because it was all done and over with.

So Kol turned it off.

Because he wanted to, and he _could_.

But when he saw her in that moment, his brain short-wired and it all came back.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Kol."

Persephone didn't even see him enter her room, she just heard the sound of his voice and turned around and saw him, just standing there. And it was such a normal thing to see, someone simply standing in the doorway, waiting. But he wasn't just someone, he wasn't normal; they weren't normal. Seeing him up and walking and talking and watching her was the most abnormal thing that she had seen in a long time.

So everything stilled, her heart lodged in her throat, and she could do nothing but stand there and stare back into his endless eyes. It was like time had stopped just for them, and the world had gone silent, because he was there.

He was right in from of her. In flesh and blood and consciousness.

He wasn't a dream, he wasn't a memory, he wasn't a hallucination, he wasn't a corpse in a coffin. He was there, looking at her, and she looking at him, and it was real. Persephone was in his thoughts, her name was in his mouth, and she was in his life in that moment and him in hers.

Then she realized time hadn't stopped for them, Persephone didn't have luxury of it to, because instead everything was happening all at once, and she could do nothing about it.

"I-"

Kol had rushed forward and forced her towards the wall, his hands tightly grasping her shoulders in such a way that she knew she would have bruises, his face was so close to hers that Persephone could feel his breath feather against her skin, she could see the way his fangs poked out his snarl distorted lips. But worst of all, she could see his eyes up close, so much so that she could see they were the exact same eyes that she used to gaze into and think of as an endless universe that was all hers. It was Kol; it was he who used to be hers.

God, Persephone hated how she couldn't hate him.

" _What_ are you doing here?"

"You're… I'm…" She stuttered in response to his jeer because it all felt surreal, like it wasn't really happening. But then when the throbbing of his grip on her shoulder intensified, she realized that she was being stupid. She was being pathetic, and she wasn't going to just let him push her around like that. Quickly Persephone jerked her knee and slammed it up at the bottom of his ribcage, taking him off guard he stumbled backwards, hunched over and groaning in pain.

It felt good to do that to him.

"How dare you!" She screamed, and he lifted his head to look at her with bewilderment in his eyes, clearly not expecting her to fight back. So she did, and she stepped forward, fisted her hand, and swung at his jaw once. Reveling in the release the sound of his jaw cracking gave her, Persephone ignored the stinging that cut at her knuckles, and swung again, and again. "How dare- you come in here- and attack me and-"

Kol grabbed her wrists between his hands before she could try for another hit, wiping the blood that dripped from the corner of his lips with his sleeve, he stared down at her with his eyes widening in his fury.

Persephone couldn't look back at him.

She didn't even bother to struggle out of his bone-snapping grip, so instead she whipped her knee up to once again put him down like she had before. However this time he predicted her move, and hooked his foot around the back of her other leg, pulled it from beneath her, he let go of her wrists, and Persephone fell to the floor with a hard thump.

She didn't even have time to recover when he laid his boot on her chest, pinning her to the ground. So Persephone waited, she waited for his foot to push down farther, for it to crush her ribs into her lungs, and she waited for him to hit her back, she waited for the feel of his fists to her face, she waited to have every bone in her body broken. Because she knew he could do it, he could've got her back a hundred times worse than what she had done to him. He could've hurt her like she knew he obviously wanted to because she had left him when it was he who wanted to leave me. Kol was capable of it all.

But he didn't.

Instead, he just stood there, Persephone trapped on the ground beneath his shoe, and he stared at her as before, with his ever-unreadable eyes.

And she waited again, this time for his words, because the only thing Persephone knew was from the way his eyes flickered around her face, he was thinking of what the hell he wanted to say, if there was anything at all. She felt uncomfortable on the ground, and she almost would've preferred it if he had hit her, because that way she would've had something else to do other than stare back into his eyes.

But then he spoke.

"You're the last one, aren't you?"

She just nodded, because Persephone found she couldn't speak.

He let out a breath, the tips of his blood-coated lips lifting, and he shook his head. "I figured, because you've hit me before, and I've got to say those punches were pretty pathetic." His tone was almost joking, but despite the small smile, his expression was solemn. Kol looked away, his smile thinning into a line.

"I had nowhere else to go." She breathed, unable to say anything else. "Your family are powerful, I knew-"

"Oh of course you knew!" He shouted in the middle of her sentence, looking back down to her with disdainful eyes. "I mean, I told you everything about them myself!"

Kol released her suddenly, his foot weighing off Persephone's chest, his face as impenetrable as his eyes; he walked towards the door, seemingly trying to leave. But she got to her feet, and let out a laugh of disbelief. "As if I based my knowledge of your family on any of those lies you told me!" She yelled at his back, choking the sob that threatened to leave her lips, and wiping away at the tears that sprung to her eyes. Persephone's heart was twisting in her chest, and she felt the poisonous hatred that she had been bottling up for so long leak out and into her veins. She felt the searing loathing and pain and hurt suddenly course through her body, burning through everything until she could feel nothing but boiling agony.

That was what he had done to her.

"I came to your family because I have no one else!" Persephone continued on, her voice pathetically hoarse, and she saw he had stopped at the door, but still wasn't facing her. She thought that maybe he didn't want to confront what he had done to her, and then she remembered Kol didn't know what guilt was. "I gave you my all, and then you left me when I was sick and weak, taking everything I gave you with you, and throwing it into a fire and burning it until I could never be the same!"

Slowly, he turned around, his brows furrowed and his hands balled into fists, but his face otherwise blank. Kol watched me for a moment, contemplative.

And then he twisted around and slammed his fist into the wall.

Cracks cut across the paint, and pieces of plaster chipped off. He did it again, and again, and again until his knuckles were red and raw and the demolished hole was smeared in his blood. But that still wasn't enough, and he grabbed a nearby chair and threw it across the room, letting out a loud sound of frustration as it shattered into pieces of wood and fabric.

Persephone could do nothing but watch.

"I was coming back! It was you who left me!" He bellowed, unmoving, but his uninjured hand cradling his broken one. The expression of rage died down and transformed into one that she could only describe as wounded, and she had no idea what was going on with him. "You left me." Kol repeated the words as a whisper, before he once again threw something, this time an oil painting of a jasmine tree, across the room.

And that was when she lost it, with his genuine looking anguished expression and violent outbursts and his confusing words. Persephone rushed forward and shoved at him, and when he didn't budge, she did it again, this time crying, " _Hit me_!"

Yet he just looked at ger, this time shaken.

"Hit me Kol! Stop destroying my room and destroy me! You've already done your worst, so hit me, Kol, hit me! Do it!" She shrieked frantically, feeling myself lose all control, and when he did nothing but stare down at her, Persephone grabbed for his hand, and moved it so it slapped her on the cheek. "Hit. Me." She whispered, feeling tears fall from her eyes, and onto his palm that was still pressed to her stinging face.

But he pulled his wrist away, and stepped back from her. "No."

The way, in which he was looking at her, Persephone didn't need him to hit her, because it was all in his eyes. His coal black eyes seared straight through her skin and burnt her to the core, and she felt she was nothing to him. So she stumbled back, sat on her bed, and held her head in her hands, suddenly exhausted about everything. Seeing Kol was something she had thought of so much in the past but now that it was happening, she just wanted… Persephone was tired. She couldn't do it.

"What happened to you?"

Kol was now sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall under the hole he made. Dry blood trailed from his mouth and covered his hands. As she was looking at him, she gradually realized that he wasn't the same person she used to know. When Persephone saw him just a few days before, she had thought it remarkable how much he looked the same. But he didn't, he was different, now that he was awake she saw it.

It was subtle, yet she could still see it. She could see how his shoulders sagged under the weight of all he had been through, she could see how his neutral expression wasn't neutral at all and instead was one that looked perpetually exhausted, how the corners of his lips were downturned into a small frown, and how his eyes… Oh, those eyes Persephone used to gaze into and see constellations and universes and all ahead of them. Those eyes that used to glimmer sparkle with mischief. Those eyes that sometimes were so indecipherable but other times told her everything about his pain and agony and loneliness. They were empty.

There was nothing there.

And she didn't know why.

"I could ask you the same thing."

He swallowed, and glanced away from her, staring into the distance blankly. "I lost every good thing that I had left, and let hate consume me. Then I died. Then I came back to life expecting to feel as resurrected in mind as I was in body…" He trailed off, completely still and silent, but for his steady breathing.

"I lost everything. Then I had nothing. I tried filling the void, but it didn't work…" She replied, not knowing why she wasn't screaming or shouting or out-rightly blaming him for absolutely breaking her, but Persephone guessed it was because she was tired.

"But instead I came back feeling as angry as I had before. That was when I realized that nothing _just_ changes, until it does."

"And I stayed an empty shell of myself until I realized I was going to die and bring millions down with me, so I came here, in an attempt to save everyone but myself."

They looked at each other, directly in the eyes, the entrances to the soul. It was like looking in a mirror because all she saw was pain and pain and pain. Heart stabbing pain, soul tearing pain, the kind of pain that makes you want to die but know that you deserve every little bit of it you feel.

She let out a sob, quickly smothering it with her hand.

Persephone was in his life in that moment, she was his main focus in that moment and he was hers. And she had no idea what was happening or what had happened in the past. Being with him and hearing his uncertain words was making her question everything she had ever thought or felt after she lost him. She couldn't even begin to comprehend what was happening.

And the worst part was that she didn't want to. Persephone didn't want answers; she didn't want to know what he was talking about or what had happened to him, just that she didn't want to know. She knew that if she did, it might've potentially changed _everything._ She didn't know why she felt that way, but there was a weight to his words that just told her so. And she didn't want that. She didn't want things to change, she was so sick of change. Persephone hated it, she hated it all.

"What happened to us?" Kol broke the silence with his croaky voice and unfathomable question.

"We weren't real."

"Yes we were."

"You ruined me."

"You ruined _me_."

" _How_?"

"I'm going to die."

Persephone broke the back and forth rhythm with her statement.

It was something she had always known. She had of course been aware of it for her whole life, because every life ends, even an immortal one that millions of others depend on. But Persephone knew from the moment she arrived in the damn city that she was going to die there. She never said it aloud. She didn't know why. She really didn't. Maybe it was because she hated confronting the truth. Lying to herself was a given.

"Then so am I."

"Maybe, maybe not."

He made a face at this, and looked at her with the same incredulous look he had given her so many times before, and Persephone couldn't help but feel a fleeting sensation of nostalgia burst inside. Yet it was fleeting, and gone as soon as she identified it, leaving her with nothing but a bitter taste on her tongue and an unruly stomach. "What the hell do you mean? Or course I'll die if you do, we all will."

Persephone shook her head, and ignored the mix of adoration and resentment she felt swimming beneath the surface of her skin for him. A knot formed in her throat as she formed the words, and she knew the minute she said them they couldn't be taken back. But she'd rather had said the words than find out what Kol was talking about.

She knew that would sooner kill her.

"I'm here to put an end to it once and for all. It's not a question of whether I leave this alive or not." Her voice was steadier than she thought it was going to be, but her heart was lodged in her throat and voice thick and heavy. "It's a question of whether when I die if I bring you all down with me, or not."

Kol shook his head. "I don't believe you."

"I don't believe _you_." Persephone shot back icily, her bitterness rising to the surface, once again reminding her of how it was Kol she was speaking to; Kol, the destroyer of my worlds.

"When did you get so weak?"

"When you left me." She stood unexpectedly, her voice jumping with emotion. "When did _you_ get so weak?"

Kol stayed on the floor, and looked away from her. "When I awoke from being daggered expecting to see you, but then realized I had been in a box for over a century and you were long gone." Then he regarded Persephone, his eyes heavy. "And I was going to come back. I was going to come back, Persephone. I was going to come back for you."

She could feel her world crumbling around her, she could feel shards of memories fall past her, and scraps of feelings and thoughts run through her fingers. Like always, it was all falling apart, because of what he was saying. He saying these lies that made her question everything she had known, and even though she knew they weren't real, there was a dash of hope inside of her that thought, 'What if? What if what Kol is saying is true? What if he really was going to come back to you? What if he was never going to leave?'

But then that meant everything Persephone had felt, all the loneliness and misery and heartbreak, meant nothing. She had been through hell and at the same time nothingness for no reason. She had spent centuries in an emotional limbo for no reason. What Kol was saying meant it was all meaningless.

She couldn't accept that.

Persephone had already fallen off the cliff into the abyss; it was too late to turn back.

"No."

This time he stood, and moved forward. "You were mine, I was yours. I was coming back for you. I was-" He grasped for her hands, but she flinched back, shaking her head, and thus shaking all of his words away.

_"…He was about to run off, and leave you in the lurch…"_

Klaus's words instead ringed through her head, and Persephone latched onto them along with everything she thought she knew.

"Lies. You weren't coming back. I know you weren't coming back."

He put his hands on his hips, and stared down at her in angry confusion. "What makes you think that? Who told you that? Because it's not the truth, and I was coming back for you, but Nik daggered me before I could." He stressed, running his hand through his hair, and once again reaching for her, but she jerked away again.

No.

_"Kol doesn't love you sweetheart. He's incapable of it."_

"Stop Kol. I'm sick of the lies."

_"Kol doesn't love. Kol plays, he pretends to love."_

"I'm not stupid or gullible anymore."

_"It's all a game to him darling. It may seem real, but it's not, he's incapable of love."_

"I know that I'm right, I know that you were going to leave me."

_"The sooner you learn that darling, the sooner you can prepare for when he gets bored of you and drops you like a dead body."_

"I know that everything we had was fake. I know it wasn't real. I know it was all a game. I'm not going to fall for it anymore."

That was when it happened.

When Persephone saw his hand suddenly move she expected for him to slap her across the face, or to punch her in the stomach. She expected him to hurt her like she knew he wanted, like she had done to him just a few minutes before. But what he did was so much worse than what she expected.

Because before she knew what was happening, he was in her chest, his arm wrist deep as his hand caged Persephone's heart in his fingers. The weird thing was that it hurt, of course it did, he had ripped through her skin, pushed her ribs aside so he could hold her heart in the palm of his hand, and yet, she had felt worse pain before. She found it curious, that as he literally held her heart in his hand, she realized that her emotional pain had always trumped her physical pain, every single time.

He was angry with her, she could see, and it wasn't just because he could've ripped her heart out at any given moment, but from the ferocity in his eyes with which he stared at her with. His brows furrowed deeply, his teeth bared widely, and his hand squeezing slowly. Angry was an understatement, and there was so much more there.

It was hard to speak, to get the words out because her insides were twisted up and her hate for him was clogging her throat, and when Persephone whispered the two words, she thought even he wouldn't be able to hear them.

"Do it."

He heard it. He didn't move. She could survive without a heart, she knew it, and he knew it.

" _Do it_."

He tightened his fingers around it more, and she tensed, waiting for him to rip it out, she tensed waiting to feel the hollowness in her chest that she knew would come if he did it, she tensed, almost hopeful that if he did do it, maybe everything would go away; the pain, emotional and physical.

Persephone could survive without a heart, and she wanted to live without one too.

"This is not a game."

He leaned in closer, narrowing his eyes, his expression hardening with each moment.

"You're paranoid and delusional. You hate yourself so much that you will do anything, like cling onto lies and ignore the truth just to ensure that you are unhappy, even if it hurts others in the process. But that doesn't matter, because you're selfish."

Each word was like a knife in her back.

"You run when you're scared, because you're a coward. Yet you blame everyone else to make it seem you had a reason for running, when in truth, you didn't. You don't."

His eyes were cruel and cold, and Persephone could tell that he believed every word he was saying. Her knees buckled beneath her, as the fatigue that clouded everything was too much to take. The only thing that was holding her up was Kol.

But she wasn't giving in just because she felt weak in the moment. So she shook her head, and laughed. It wasn't loud or big, but it was genuine over the ridiculousness of the things he was saying, because everything was just _so_ ironic. Persephone saw his eyes flicker at her reaction, clearly not expecting it.

"You're paranoid and have such a low self-esteem because your family never loved you that you've spent your whole life playing a lying game where you have tricked woman after woman to love you, to depend on you to give absolutely everything. You've craved attention and some semblance of love because you've got such a giant void inside whatever is left of your heart."

Kol's eyes widened, and his mouth opened, but nothing came out, as though he was choked up on all the words that he was meant to say.

"But the love those women gave was never enough, nothing has ever been enough to fill that void in your heart, because the truth is, it's not just a void. It's a black hole that sucks the light and life out of people until they are nothing but empty. And once you're done consuming that light and life, you leave for another, and repeat."

He was silent.

"I don't need to reiterate what you do to those women, the way they are after you leave them, because you know it all. And you leave anyway. That's why you are such a vile, empty being. But you thought you the whole world was yours. Then I came along and you were almost done with the job, you were running like the cockroach you are, but then you were daggered. I got to leave you first. And you _hate_ that about me."

She saw a tear roll out his eye, and Persephone didn't know why it was there, maybe because what she was saying was so brutally honest and it hurt him to hear it. She didn't care, yet her reflexes immediately made her hand go to his cheek, to hold it and wipe the tear away, tender in her movements, but also unknowing.

"I… I… _God_ Kol." She choked out, the rest of her unmerciful words dissipating. She brought her other hand to his cheek, and pulled his face down to rest his forehead against hers, and he let her, as he breathed out a shuddering breath. Persephone closed her eyes, because she didn't know what she was doing, but everything was so fucked up, because Kol was in her life in that moment and she was in his, and he was holding her heart in his hand and she was wiping away his tears as they told each other the most terrible truths. "I was so in…"

She couldn't form the words in her mouth that she had never told him during their façade of a relationship. Persephone thought she didn't need to because it was obvious, and that was why she had never found it strange he had never said them to her. But their reasons for not saying that four lettered word were much different.

"I trusted you. So much. With everything. And you destroyed me. I hate you, but then I don't. I don't know why. It's insane, but that's what you've done to me."

He pulled his hand away, without her heart, leaving Persephone to fall to the floor because he wasn't there to hold her, and she was so tired. She could feel blood pool out and around the hole he left in her chest, but she didn't care anymore. So she leaned against the side of her bed and gazed up at Kol, who did her with heavily lidded and gleaming brown eyes.

His blood-coated hand was shaking, and she didn't know if it was with anger or something else. Then he said the four words that he had been repeating over and over again.

"I was coming back."

Persephone felt her heart clutch in her chest at the lies that almost stopped seeming like lies just by the way he looked at her. That was what he could do to her.

"But that doesn't matter because I destroyed you, just like you did me. We did it unknowingly to each other, and the reason you're ruined is because you chose to believe a lie. And as I'm here vehemently telling you that the lie is most certainly a lie and that I was coming back, you're still choosing to believe the lie, because you hate yourself."

She wilfully shook her head, but could feel her eyes well up and vision blur. "I don't…"

"Believe me?" He prompted, his lips curling in disgust. "Like I said, you'll believe anything that will stop you from feeling anything other than loathing. And-"

Kol voice cut off sharply, and he looked away, instead staring at his bloody hand. His face was pinched, and his eyes wet, his hand was still shaking and his lower lip quivered. Persephone watched him dazedly, unsure of what he was about to say or do. She felt sleep haze over she, and as she fought hard to stop her eyelids from drooping too far because she didn't want him to see her as weak, she knew it was too late for any of that. Kol knew her whether she liked it or not, he knew everything about her, he knew what she was like and-

"-I wish I had never met you."

That _hurt_.

God, it hurt a lot. It hurt because even though he had ruined her completely, Persephone had not once wished that they had never happened, never. She couldn't just wish that kind of thing away, because they did happen, and it was one of the worst things that happened to her. He may have taken more from her than he gave, but he still gave, and she wouldn't have ever wished that away.

So when he said those words, those seven words, those words that undid everything. It hurt like a bitch. She didn't know what she was supposed to believe, whether to believe that he never felt anything for her, or to believe that he was going to come back for her because they were everything. But that, those seven words, made Persephone not care if he was telling the truth about really feeling something for her, because those words undid it all.

There was no going back. Not after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was really difficult to write.
> 
> Next Chapter - A continuation of this and some more (this chapter got too long, so I had to cut off some of it, and that will be the next chapter).
> 
>  
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	16. Torn

_Western Spain – 1702_

_Persephone jerked awake. The room was dark, but for the moonlight that streamed through the window, washing the space in a deep blue tinge. Her mind was still racing from her nightmare. She could still hear the screams ringing in her ears; she could still feel the snow on her feet, her Mama's limp hand in hers, and blood soaking her dress. She found that she was clinging against Kol's chest; of who was wide awake, his hand absentmindedly rubbing circles on the small of her back._

" _Did I wake you?" She whispered, voice feeble and hushed._

_He blinked, staring at the ceiling blankly. "I never slept."_

_Oh, God. Persephone had kept him awake once again. She knew that he hadn't slept in days because of her and her restlessness at night, and he must've been completely exhausted. It was when she quietly shifted that she realized her nails were cutting deep into his side, instead of her own palms as usual. Her fingers were tipped with his blood, and his pallid skin was smeared in it, with more dripping out from the wounds she made. Slowly, she pulled her fingers away, and with guilt dropping to the pit of her stomach, she attempted to soothe the already healing cuts by softly tracing over them. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know…"_

_But Kol was numb to it as he sighed. "It doesn't matter."_

_Frustrated, she lifted her head and cupped his cheek in her hand so she could look into his heavily lidded, purple ringed eyes. "Yes, it does." She replied forcefully. "I shouldn't be doing it to you."_

_His brown eyes were unreadable, and flickered as he searched around her features. He looked away, pushing Persephone's hand from his face. "You were digging them into your palm, again as you do all nights. It wakes you up, when you dig too deep; you don't sleep well because of it. So I unravelled your fist, but you instead clung to me. I let you do it."_

" _You shouldn't have to put up with me during night time." She said quietly, her heart aching in the guilt of what she was doing to him, for him letting her hurt him. "Not when I'm the way I am."_

_Silence. She thought he wasn't going to say anything, she thought he didn't want to say anything. Persephone almost rolled over and got up to go to her old room. To leave him alone, away from her toxicity, he didn't deserve to have to put up with her and what she was doing to him. He was too good._

_But he spoke, stopping her._

" _I don't want you to hurt yourself."_

_She stilled. "What…?"_

_Kol licked his lips. "I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore."_

_Her eyes filled up with tears at what he was saying, her stomach was in her throat because they may have just been talking about some small thing Persephone did to herself at night to stop the nightmares from taking over what little moments of peace she got, yet it was also an allegory for a much bigger thing. Like those times she almost left him and he reeled her back in. Those were the times were she was about to hurt herself but he didn't let her, and it seemed as though all she ever gave him was pain. "But… I don't want to hurt you."_

_He took a deep breath, lifting his hand to her my face, stroking her cheekbone and wiping away stray tears. "When you hurt, I hurt."_

_Kol tightened his grip around her, pulling her closer to him, and it almost made sense._

" _I hardly hurt, Persephone, only when you do things to yourself, I do." He unfurled her hand, and ran his fingers over the cuts on her palm. "I am an immortal creature, incapable of death in almost all forms, able to heal within seconds, able run like light. I can inflict more harm on people than should be possible." He laced his fingers through hers. "And any physical pain I feel is inconsequential to the pain that I feel when you hurt."_

_Persephone could nearly feel her heart start beating again at his words._

" _You are the only person who can make me feel true pain. But you also are the only person who makes me feel invincible. It's an awful paradox." Pressing his lips to her forehead, he squeezed her hand. "But you_ _ **are**_ _my only weakness."_

_She swallowed. Almost at a loss for words._

_Almost._

" _You are the only person I care about." She let out a choked sound, and tears were stinging her eyes. "I just… I wish I could've met you earlier, before I became broken. Before I became fully unfix-able."_

" _I like you broken." He whispered back in her ear. "Your imperfections are what make you so beautiful to me."_

_Smiling shakily, Persephone looked up at him. "I like you broken as well."_

" _Our broken shards fit together..." He murmured, his voice low, his eyelids heavy._

_She let out a small smile, one that could've been called sad. "I wish I could tell you how I feel about everything, about you."_

" _We have forever to do that, Persephone."_

_Her heart dropped. And tears started falling from the corners of her eyes once again; she had no idea why she was being so emotional._

_Gently rolling over to his side, he leaned over her, sorrow deep in his eyes. "Why are you crying, love?" His voice was soft and quiet and soothing, it eased Persephone, to know he cared_ _**so much** _ _._

_Thickly swallowing, she looked back into his tired gaze. "You say forever, like it is this eternal lifeline that is stretched out in front of us with no end. But we don't truly know how long it lasts. Forever can be just one second. Done before I can even blink, and everything is gone. Everything that I ever was doesn't matter any more."_

_Kol sighed, frowning slightly; he brushed the tears from her skin, and tenderly traced his fingers over her lips. "How long have you been thinking this way, Persephone?"_

_She let out a weak laugh, her voice broken. "Forever."_

" _You must tell me when you think these things." His voice was sombre, but he ran his fingers through her hair, comforting her as though she was the only thing that mattered._

" _Then I will be talking forever."_

" _As long as you are here forever, you can say whatever you want whenever."_

_They were quiet for a while; just taking in each other's features, so close, moulded together as one. She heard his heart beat steadily, felt his body radiate heat, and his chest rise and fall with every breath he took. It grounded her. He always did, he was the only person who had the ability to calm Persephone down, the only person who had the ability to stop her doubting and just carry on. "You can tell me anything, Kol."_

_His breathing stopped. "I know."_

_She frowned at his tone of voice, he sounded so unsure. As if he didn't believe what he was saying. "Kol… You are always there for me; please let me be there for you."_

_He shifted, almost like he was uncomfortable with what Persephone was saying. She could feel his body tense above her, his hand balled into a tight fist on her hipbone, and his eyes averted from hers._

" _I tell you so much. I trust you." Tugging lightly at a tuft of his hair, she forced him to look at her, and when he did, she could see his conflicted eyes hid a deeper emotion, pain. "I have opened myself to you more than I have to anyone else… More than I have ever wanted to. You share my burdens, and I want to share yours."_

_However it seemed at her words, he closed himself off more than he had before, and it broke Persephone's heart. He breathed out a weak smile. "Oh darling," He started, his voice crackly, "my burdens are but a grain of sand in comparison to your beach. I needn't bother you with them."_

_He was putting up his wall. "We all feel hurt, no matter how big the problem is, it is still present and it still hurts. There is no issue too small or too big that you can't-"_

" _-JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!" He burst out, pushing her away from him, and rolling over, blocking Persephone off. "_ _ **Stop**_ _. There is nothing to talk about."_

_She had no idea why he was being so cold. But it hurt; it hurt worse than the nightmare she had that forced her to relive terrible memories. It hurt, because not only was he making her heart ache through his actions, but he was also keeping himself in pain, when he didn't have to. They had fought before, yet they were petty arguments, never about something so important, never about trust. She just thought that was a given._

_So Persephone shuffled over to the edge, away from him, kicking off the sheets. She placed her feet on the hardwood floor and sat there for a moment, just trying to come to terms with the fact that she trusted him with her everything and he trusted her with nothing. With her head in her hands, she exhaled a labored breath as she thought of the man who lay behind her, who she thought she knew so well but truthfully knew nothing about. She had been so, so stupid; so stupid to share so much with someone who couldn't do the same with her._

_And Persephone stood, cold, staring at their scattered clothes across the floor. Trust was the only thing she had, it was the only thing she could ever give someone, and it was everything to her. And she gave him hers, despite all her past experiences that replayed in her mind with the end message of 'Don't do it'; she gave him all she had. He knew how much it meant to her._

_Yet he couldn't even do that himself._

_It broke her._

" _Stop."_

_He said the one word that before his outburst, coming from his lips would've pulled her back to the warmth of the blankets, pillows, sheets, and his arms. However then, there was no warmth, there was nothing. Persephone stepped forward and away from him, shakily._

" _Please just wait."_

_She heard shuffling behind her, and his hands grasped themselves around her waist. She flinched away from him, violent and angry and in emotional agony. But he held on, wrapping his arms around Persephone, resting his head by her, and bringing her flush up against him. She struggled, tearing at his arms, and jerking away, frustrated, a knot forming in her throat that was suffocating her. "Get off me! I can't beli-"_

" _-I'm scared."_

_Persephone stopped._

_Silence._

_And stillness._

" _Of what… We are."_

_She felt his breath on her cheek._

" _It's so real." He paused, and she could feel him swallow thickly against her shoulder. "And fast, and intense. More so of those things than anything I have ever experienced before. And I'm scared."_

_She turned in his arms to face him. She had never seen the look on his face before that she saw in that moment._

_One that was completely, and utterly, petrified._

_So Persephone took him in her arms, because she had no idea what else to do, so she just did what he always did to her. She trailed her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, and he nestled in the crook of her neck, his hands desperately gripping at her._

" _I don't want to screw it up. But that's I do with everything else in my life." His voice was small and muffled against her skin, so she held him tighter, her heart quietly breaking at what he was saying._

" _We have forever." Persephone whispered softly, rubbing circles onto his back as he had done to her._

" _But what if forever is too much time? Too many moments for me to mess up."_

" _Your imperfections are what make you so beautiful to me. I know what you are, who you are. You couldn't screw this up, trust me Kol." Blinking back tears she pulled back, smiling at him shakily, because Persephone liked the utter truthfulness of those words. "We'll take it one step at a time."_

_He let out a small and recognisable smirk. "I think it's a bit too late for that, Persephone."_

_But she was serious. "You are my everything."_

_Tugging her down back onto the bed on top of him, he gazed at her fondly. "And you, mine. Never forget that."_

" _I won't if you won't."_

"You hurt me."

She said it softly, but her voice still cracked, because everything, even the words upon her tongue, hurt. It wasn't an ache anymore, is was a throbbing, pulsating agony that tore from the tips of her toes to the back of her brain. Him wanting to undo everything that had happened did that to Persephone. It made it all feel worthless, and she couldn't take that.

"Back then, you hurt me, and now you hurt me. Kol."

He tipped his head back now, and let out a sound, a cry, that she had never heard before. It was pure and heartbreaking and it almost killed Persephone.

"I _can't_ do this anymore."

The words tumbled out of her mouth and her voice sounded like shattering glass. What they had been discussing, whatever was happening and whatever was coming out between them, it was over. The confrontation that she had waited for for so long was done because she couldn't take it anymore. It was too much, all of it.

At the proclamation, Persephone almost thought she saw another tear fall from Kol's eye. But that was probably the fatigue that blurred her vision.

"Do I just pretend that we're nothing?"

Persephone shook her head, gulping quietly. "We _are_ nothing, Kol…" She paused, gathering up what was left of her rationality, thinking hard about what it was going to be like to spend the probable last days and weeks of her life with him nearby. She didn't like it. "Maybe you should go. Leave the city, I mean. I don't want you here."

His eyes flashed with anger and indignation, and he rested his hands on his hips and let out a sour laugh. "You expect me to leave my family and be apart from them when these could be the last days of my life?"

If Kol had ever in the past given Persephone the impression that he felt anything but loathing and resentment for his family, she would've accepted that as an answer, because it would've made sense. Yet it didn't, at least not to her, but she guessed the Kol she knew back then wasn't real, and despite him being someone devoid of love, he may've had some sort of attachment to his family that made him want to be around them, just in case…

"I don't care if it makes you uncomfortable, or whatever!" He continued on, his voice rising with each word, his voice wavering at the possibility of the end. "If these are my last days, I want to be around the people I lo-"

And he stopped.

And he stared at her.

She stared back. It was like before when he first walked into the room, and it was as though the whole world had stilled. Kol had frozen in the middle of saying that word, that fucking godforsaken word, and had just looked at her. His eyes, in that moment, were no longer the empty ones Persephone had seen but a minute ago, but they were the ones she used to gaze into when they were together.

They were the dark brown eyes that were so deep that she saw galaxies that made up their whole universe, the dark brown eyes that said so much and nothing at the same time, the dark brown eyes that used to gaze at her with such a fondness that she knew she would never find anyone else who looked at me like that. It was he who she used to know yet...

_Persephone didn't know what the hell was happening._

Because those eyes that used to say so much, they were never real, just a mask. But when he looked at her with them in that moment, it felt as though they were. She felt as though she was being torn into two, one side nailed down and stuck in what Persephone thought she knew; that Kol never loved her, and it was all fake and a game. That part wanted her to stay in the abyss of hate and loneliness she had been drowning in, the endless void that had suffocated her for so long that she forgot what it was even like to breathe. It was awful but it was what she knew best, and a part of her wanted that comfort of familiarity.

However there was another part of Persephone that struggled away with all its might screaming that it was real, all of it was real. Because despite her forgetting what it was like to breathe, she remembered that it made immortality mean so much more than it ever had before, and that it was madness. All of it; lunacy. But that was what life was; the fact that we fight every day to live for some unknown cause _is_ crazy, because in the end nothing really matters. And yet we push on against the current because we are organisms on a floating rock in the middle of of stars and planets and galaxies, and we never know what is coming next but we continue on because if the next moment isn't death and isn't the end, then the previous one was worth it.

And that is madness.

That's how Persephone remembered what being with Kol felt like, complete insanity that was all worth it until the end.

It was comfort versus immortality, and she didn't know what to believe anymore.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

Her fists clenched by her sides as she forcefully whispered the words, her nails digging into her skin as she delved into her thoughts, attempting in vain to make sense of everything that was happening. But it was all too much all at once all too fast. What Persephone had known was falling apart around her with every moment he looked at her, his lips still slightly shaped to say that word he had never said to her before.

She felt weak.

"I don't know why you hate me." He started, his voice dismal and raw and cracking. She couldn't bear to look him in the eye because that part of her that wanted to believe him, its screams were getting louder. "I don't know why you think I was going to abandon you. This is all…."

"We're a mess." She finished, crumpling down against the side of the bed, because she felt the world she knew crumbling around her with every waking second, and she couldn't take standing on unsteady ground anymore. Persephone didn't even look at him, and instead, picked at the scabs that were crusted over her palms. It stung as they peeled away and blood started prickling to the surface, but some part of her _hoped_ that it was all a nightmare. That Kol standing there was just a hallucination her drug-addled mind had conjured up, and that if she reopened the wounds on her hands that she would jerk awake like she normally did.

When she didn't wake soon enough, Persephone jammed her fingernails into the blood puddles that pooled in her palm, digging deep into the muscle and bones of her hand, frowning in concentration as she forced herself awake. But she wasn't asleep, because instead of everything around her dissolving away, Kol rushed to her side, as real as she was, cursing quietly as he saw what she was doing.

And Persephone continued on tearing away at the skin on her hand, tears falling down her face as she willed herself to wake up. Kol tore a strip from the sheet of her bed, and kneeling down beside her, he, without hesitation, slapped her hand away from the harm she was doing, and grabbed at her bloodied one, carefully cradling it. He wrapped the white fabric around her hand, and she watched as it quickly turned a deep maroon. Kol tied it securely, and she refused to meet his eye as he settled himself down beside Persephone, her hand resting between his.

"You still do it." He murmured, his voice hushed, squeezing her hand gently, but not letting go.

She nodded quietly in reply, but didn't pull away.

"This isn't a nightmare, you know."

"I do now."

He was silent, and she refused to look at him, but could still feel his question. Kol didn't need to speak, Persephone could tell what it was by his quiet, by the way his arm was pressed up against her, by the way he gripped at her hand tightly like he was scared she would pull away, by the way he let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"You were gone for three days, I got better by the second day, and I left to look for you by the third, when the smoke clouded the room and the screaming from the streets flooded the room." Persephone started, recalling what had happened that fateful morning, and she could hear his breath catch when she referenced the chaos he had caused. "I didn't know where I was supposed to look, but when I finally found a tavern that wasn't on fire, I knew that you were in there. So I entered-"

"-And you found me daggered." He cut in firmly, confusion and urgency tinting his voice as he shifted to look at her, once again squeezing her hand tightly. "I wasn't daggered voluntarily. Niklaus-"

"-You'd been drinking and destroying the whole town." She interrupted, ignoring his excuses, because it was finally Persephone's chance to tell the story. Kol settled beside her, resigning himself, letting out a sigh. He wanted to know, so she was going to let him. "But I didn't care, because I _finally_ found you. You were daggered on the floor, wilting and grey, yet you were there. And…"

She stopped in her retelling of the story because she was reaching the part that hurt the most, and she didn't even want to think of it because she felt grounded as she leaned against him. His arm was warm and soft against her cheek, and his hand holding hers made Persephone feel safe. She knew it was stupid and she was being weak, just falling back with him after what he had done to her, but she really didn't care because in that moment he was there for her in a way that no one had been in a long time. It wasn't fake or manipulative; he didn't even seem to expect anything out of her other than her side of the story.

Kol was listening to her.

He was being respectful, maybe in his guilt or maybe because he was telling the truth about coming back to her, and the thought terrified Persephone but also almost killed her because it was all _too late_. The damage had been done, like a broken mirror because although you could still see what was there, the reflection was still shattered and couldn't be fixed. You couldn't un-break it. Yet she almost wished it could be the truth, all of it, because although the idea that he still… He still might've felt something for her scared her; it also gave her hope – something she hadn't had in a long time.

But hope was a dangerous thing. It could drive someone insane.

And it wasn't the nice kind of insanity; it was the all-consuming kind of insanity. The one that eventually destroyed you. She wasn't willing to build herself up again upon a small slither of hope just to be torn down again. Love was hope, and that was what love did to her. Every. Single. Time.

"It doesn't matter any more." Persephone's voice was thick because it fucking hurt her to say the words that crushed the slither of hope she almost had. But it had to be done. "It's too late."

Kol let out a labored breath, and stuttered, "I… I…"

And some part of her knew in that instant that he was telling the truth, that Klaus was lying when he said that Kol was abandoning her, that Kol was _never ever_ going to leave her, but it _was too late_. Persephone couldn't just go from hating Kol… back to loving him again. It was the hardest thing to not just jump back into his arms again, but it also would've been the hardest thing to stay with him if she did so. Those feelings wouldn't just disappear. Going back to him wasn't going to erase everything he put her through, or at least, what she thought he put her through, but in reality, it was all Klaus. Yet she thought it was Kol the whole time, and that was what made it all that much harder.

"I still… _I was going to come back_."

Turning to look at him, Persephone realized how much her leaving had also hurt him. The pain; the pain on his face, in his voice, in his eyes. It was all because of heartbreak, she knew that. She hurt him as much as he hurt her, and she was only just seeing it.

So she nodded, and shifted her body to face him, taking his head between her hands, Persephone leaned her forehead to his and watched as tears fell from his closed eyes. "I believe you." The words were a soft whisper yet the way he recoiled from them it was as though they stabbed him right in the heart.

And he stood, the pain in his eyes quickly turning to rage, then to bitterness, then to accusation. He scrunched his nose up and narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows. "If you believed me then you wouldn't say it's too late!" He bellowed down at her, and she didn't think she had ever, in the time that she had known him, hear Kol sound so furious. He was completely livid.

"We- can't- go- back."

" _NO_!" His voice was so loud that it felt like a slap across her face. "Don't you DARE, say that we can't go back." Kol was seething with anger, it poured out of him like hot steam, but he was surprisingly still, instead of destroying what was all around him he was destroying Persephone with his words and eyes. "You fucking hurt me as much as I hurt you! You _think_ I left you but I _know_ that you left me. And despite that all being true, I can go back! I can. I can forget _everything_ you made me feel because- because when I'm with you that doesn't _matter_. It's YOU who can't go back because you won't allow yourself to be happy because you're a fucking coward!"

She didn't cry because of what he was saying, she already knew all of that, it didn't upset her anymore, but Persephone cried because of how much she was hurting him. It was too much. And the only thing she could do about it was try to erase all that she had felt over the past three centuries, and that was the only thing she _couldn't_ do.

Instead, Persephone sat on the floor, tears dripping down her face and head pounding because of how much she was hurting the man she loved with her whole heart, because of how much she had hurt and was hurting Kol. She had been too absorbed in Klaus' lies and herself to even see it, but she could in that moment. She had destroyed him as much as he destroyed her; the only difference was that he still had hope and she didn't.

And the door slammed open, a flurry of people Persephone saw only as blurs through her tear brimmed eyes crashed through the room, Rebekah immediately kneeling by her side, Elijah putting Kol in a head lock, and Freya and Kalypso loitering by the door, seemingly ready with their hands braced in front of them to use their magic if need be.

"Did he hurt you?" Rebekah quickly asked, obviously assuming that the destruction in the room must've meant that Kol had attacked her, and she took Persephone's bandaged hand in her own and inspecting it lightly. Glancing over, she saw that Elijah was watching her, clearly depending what he was about to do to Kol next upon how she answered. And then she looked at Kol, who was absolutely silent, staring right back at her. From the broken look on his face, Persephone knew that his sibling's doubts upset him, especially Rebekah's, who had always believed in him. She knew he could've easily over powered his brother and ran, but he didn't. She didn't know why.

She jerked away from Rebekah, and shook her head. "He would never hurt me." She murmured, swallowing as she saw another tear fall from his eye, and looked away to Rebekah. A doubtful look overtook her face and Persephone saw that she had a small hole in the breast of her shirt, and she realized Kol must have daggered his sister to stop her from stopping him. She probably thought he had gotten violent because of the lengths he went to. "I'm fine."

Rebekah regarded her, a strange look on her face and her eyes skeptical. Persephone saw them flicker to the patch of blood that stained her shirt, where her heart was. But she gave the blonde a slight shake of her head, and she took her words as the truth. Rebekah rose, offering her a hand to help her up, but she once again shook her head.

"I'm tired. I'm going to stay in here."

Rebekah let out a small laugh but she could see that Rebekah was upset at all that had just happened, to her, to Elijah, to Persephone, to Kol. Rebekah nodded towards Kalypso and Freya who still remained, wary, in the doorway, and they moved forward. Elijah still held Kol around his throat, untrusting, ready to give the jerk movement to snap his neck at any moment.

"We need you so we can do a spell." Freya stated, and Persephone noted that her voice sounded the most unsure she had ever heard it before. When she didn't answer, the witch continued. "We have figured out a way to find out more about you and what you are. We need to lure out the hunters, and to to do that, Kalypso, Bonnie, Olivia and I will take some of your magic from you and put it into a beacon-"

"-NO."

It was Kol who blurted out the word, deciding in that moment to use all his strength, taking Elijah off guard by head-butting him and slipping away from his grasp. As Elijah got over the shock of what his brother did, Kol rushed over and stood in front of Persephone, and she had no idea what the hell he was doing.

"I won't allow it."

Kol must've hit Elijah hard, as Elijah moaned, holding his head in his hands; blood smeared across his forehead, he was doubled over in pain against the wall. Rebekah gave Kol a wild look, and stepped towards him, grabbing at his shoulder. "Kol, what are you bloody-"

"-The spell is too dangerous." He jeered, and Persephone was shocked when she realized he was actually defending her, despite everything she had put him through, he was still protecting her. _God_ , it made her heart flutter in her chest, it made a smile ghost over her face, and it made her want to actually reach out and touch him, he who cared about her the most. But she couldn't. He knew that, yet he was still defending her, and it was the best and worst thing ever.

"The spell will be absolutely _fine_." Kalypso assured, waving her ring-clad hand dismissively and letting her purple lips break out into a lazy smirk. "I've felt it, almost seen it, I believe it will be a success and we will be able to safely capture one of the hunters."

Kol leered at her, his hands tightly fisted by his sides. "And who the hell are _you_?" He quizzed, making a face at the witch whose face faltered at his question. "I honestly don't give a _crap_ what you say, unless you're some bloody time traveler who traveled to the future and have seen what will happen."

The room was quiet.

"Well?" Kol continued, shaking his head at the oracle that was speechless. "Are you?"

Pursing her lips, Kalypso crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow.

"You clearly have no idea what you're talking about, you are so out of depth. Persephone is made from the _oldest_ and most _potent_ magic on this Earth. It's extremely fragile." He stressed the words like they were the most important ones to ever be said. "We are all linked to her. You can't just go messing around with that stuff, unless you want us all to die."

And then it hit her like a brick and she felt her stomach thrash around. Kol wasn't protecting Persephone, he was protecting himself. It wasn't a matter of whether she died or not to him, it was a matter of whether he died or not. She felt stupid, stupid for thinking that after what she had said, after she told him it was too late that she thought he would still care. He couldn't care anymore; he knew she wouldn't let him. Persephone understood, but it still hurt.

She got to her feet, the world unstable around her, and latched onto Rebekah for support.

"We have no choice, Kol." Freya began. Persephone saw a hint of terror in her eyes and she knew that what she was saying was the absolute truth. "We need to know more about what Persephone is, and how we can stop her and all of us from dying. The only way we can do it is if we can lure the hunters out, capture one, and interrogate them for information."

Freya and Kalypso were right. Persephone knew it, they knew it, and from the way he wavered in his stance, Kol knew it too. "They've been here since the beginning. They are thousands of years old. They would know everything." Persephone agreed, feeling lightheaded, not only because of everything that had just happened, but also because of what was about to happen. The spell was going to be massive. Kol twisted around, his jaw tightly clenched; he stared at her with a frown on his lips, his eyes almost pleading as though he was willing her to not go through it. But nothing could stop her, even though it all terrified her, she knew that it was the only way they could go forward. So pushing off from Rebekah, she stumbled forward towards the witches. Sweat coated her skin and she felt ill, but she needed to push on. Holding onto Freya's shoulders, she looked into her eyes, and nodded. "Do it. Do the spell."

Kol let out a sharp breath, and marched forward. "No! I will not let you-" He began, wrapping his hand around Persephone's upper arm and yanking her backwards and away from Freya. Kol's grip was tight and bruising, she could almost feel her bone splitting beneath his fingers. "-Go through with this! It's too dangerous." She let out a yelp of pain, biting her lip, and glaring up at him.

"Let _go_ of me." She hissed between gritted teeth, and he looked down at her, seemingly realizing just how strong he really was, and he immediately released her. A guilty look casted a shadow over his face when Persephone rubbed at where his hand grasped her. Licking his lips, Kol swallowed, and then recoiled away from her. She looked at Freya, who was watching the exchange with an uncomfortable expression straining her face, and nodded. "When will we do the spell?"

But it was Kalypso who stepped forward, cracking her knuckles and adjusting the wrap around her head. "Time is a luxury we don't have. We have all the supplies and Freya has structured it all out, we are prepared. Better sooner than later." She responded, giving Kol a cautious glance. He was silent.

Taking a deep breath, and shoving down every single strand of fear she felt but couldn't let them see, Persephone responded, "We can do it now."

The two witches gave each other a confirming side look, and then turned around and started out the room, probably assuming she was going to instantly follow after them. She didn't, though; she stayed, and faced Kol.

"…I know you know a lot about magic, you can oversee the spell if that'd make you more comfortable." Persephone mumbled pathetically, staring straight ahead at his chest, not able to meet his withering stare. He was angry that she was going through with it, she knew. It was a dangerous spell, and it could've killed her. Messing with the magic that made her what she was, messing with the magic that was tethered to the lives of all other supernatural beings was perilous. One slip up and everything could come crashing down with it and it couldn't be taken back, but there was really no other way they were to move forward. Persephone knew nothing about anything. It almost ironic that the only way to stop everyone from dying was to potentially die herself, but there was _no other way_. It had to be done.

From her peripheral vision she saw him hesitate, open his mouth, starting to form words as a reply; Persephone chose that moment to look up at him and into his eyes. However before she could meet them, he was _gone_. He had run. He had vanished and left Rebekah, Elijah, and her without a word. They didn't know where he even went.

Persephone didn't know what she expected, whether she thought he was going to shout something back at her angrily, or whether he was going to accept her offering, however she didn't expect him to leave without even saying anything. Rebekah and Elijah apparently hadn't expected it either. Rebekah let out a curse when she realized Kol had left and Elijah heaved a heavy sigh.

Rebekah widened her eyes at her, and tilted her head, questioning, but Persephone didn't have anything to say. Not then. So instead of explaining to them all that had happened, everything she knew and everything they needed to know, she looked between them, exhausted, and choked back a sob because she couldn't bear to recount it all. "I… I…" Persephone had nothing to say, there was nothing she could do.

So Elijah nodded understandingly. "We'll find him." He said, his voice soft and comforting, but the grave undertones couldn't be missed. "You go."

And she did, Persephone just walked out the open door, and down the hall where Freya and Kalypso were waiting for her, but not without hearing Rebekah ask, " _What the hell happened_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the whole version. I wanted to get this out today, so if anything is confusing or you have any questions, don't hesitate to message me and ask, or to just tell me what you think. Please review if you are able to. I hope you enjoy this and thank you for reading. X
> 
>  
> 
> [Character Images](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140456775@N06/albums/72157665094164154)


	17. Urgent Author's Note

Hello,

I don't really know if it's, like, ' _against the rules_ ' to use a chapter as an author's note (I tried looking it up in the FAQ however nothing came up), but I want people to see this so I need to make it prominent.

So I know it has been a while since I have last posted, taking into consideration how long I have usually taken in the past. I am so sorry about that, you don't understand how guilty I've been feeling about it, which is why I feel the need to clear it up here and now.

I have final exams coming up over the next couple of months, and my workload is gigantic, so it's been hard for me to find the spare time to write. However as well as that, I have hit a hard rut in my writing, for this story in particular. I'm finding it difficult to even open the document to this story. I've been losing inspiration and motivation. I love this fic and I think about what is next for it, and about all the characters and their relationships, _every day._ I have an almost concrete idea of what I want to do, but I'm struggling to actually do it. My personal life has also been extremely stressful and I've been going through a really difficult time, and I won't go into unnecessary detail about it because honestly _who the hell wants to know_? But overall what I'm trying to say is that I've been very overwhelmed by _everything_ in life.

As a result, I've decided that I am going to take a **hiatus** on this story (is that how you even word it?). I've been thinking about this for a while and have decided that this is the best thing that I can do for the story. Now, I don't really know how long this will last, but I hope that by the beginning of July when my summer will begin that things will start to ease up for me (which is uncharacteristically optimistic thinking on my side, but _oh well_ ) and writing will be more... enjoyable. And smooth.

Now while I'm at it, I may as well announce (a bit dramatic) it now, but I'm also in the midst of making a decision about whether or not to change the story into a **third person point of view**. This is going to sound dumb, however I actually don't like first person point of views that much and I'm not sure whether I like it with this story or not. I don't know. I don't even know why I wrote it in a first person POV in the first place, I just started and decided I was too far in to go back, which was fucking stupid because look at me now... But anyhoo, I just thought I should say I'm also considering _that_. I don't know if it would be weird changing it while we're so far into the story already. I seriously know nothing. This is my first story I've published, I'm a fic writing fetus. I know less than Jon Snow.

Anyways, I appreciate people's support and I hope that this hiatus and possible POV conversion doesn't divert anyone from continuing on with reading this story once I start it back up again. **I'm not giving up on this**. I feel the need to stress that so people understand. I'm just taking much needed break, because I'm weak like that but whatever, I need to clear my mind. If you can find a few seconds, please tell me what you think, either in the comments below or even through private messaging, especially about me changing the POV of the story. I would, of course, convert previous chapters to the new POV during the hiatus. **An outside opinion could help me a lot, and I'd _really_ appreciate it**.

Thank you to everyone out there who has come with me so far and thank you to everyone who will continue on with me, you all mean so much to me, more than you can probably ever know.

Much love,

JJ x

 


	18. If I Look Back, I Am Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh mY GoD!1! I can't believe it's been so long. But I always said I would come back because this story is my child, even if the "hiatus" was way, way longer than I intended. If you're still reading this, thank you and kudos to you. Anyways, because it's been so long, if you're an old reader, you probably have completely forgotten what the hell happened last chapter so (excuse my shitty summarizing skills):
> 
> _Previously, Kol is undaggered by Rebekah and Elijah after Rebekah has Olivia erase his memory of Persephone being in New Orleans. They attempt to convince him to leave the city, but he quickly regains his memories and attacks them, then going to confront Persephone. After a painful reunion, a lot of things are brought to the surface. Kol tells Persephone that he hadn't meant to abandon her like she thought, and she believes him, not really knowing why, just that she does. Kol wants to go back, wants to be with her again, but she won't allow herself to go back. She tells herself that all her suffering would be for nothing if she just got back with him, or maybe it's just because she won't allow herself to be happy. Kol doesn't understand, and he's frustrated and angry.  
>  But Rebekah and Elijah quickly enter to diffuse what they think is a violent situation, and are confused when Persephone tells them she is fine. Kalypso and Freya come in and tell her that they have devised a spell to extract her magic and place it in a beacon to lure out the hunters without putting her in danger. They need to do it now, because time is a luxury they don't have. Kol tries to stop it, saying it's too dangerous, but when Persephone refuses him, he leaves. Persephone is upset, but decides to follow through with the spell, and goes with Kalypso and Freya._
> 
> Also, the title for this chapter is a quote from the ASOIAF by GRRM. Enjoy the chapter.

Two women were waiting as Kalypso, Freya and Persephone walked into the entrance room of the compound, where they were set up. Freya introduced them to Persephone, " _This is Bonnie and Olivia, they're going to help us"_ , but she hardly heard. A thin film of sweat coated her skin, sticky and suffocating, yet chills ran through her blood, down her spine. Despite all of that, though, she felt far away from herself, everyone else, like she wasn't in her own body. The people around her were convoluted, every word heavy and movement sluggish. Freya, well, she explained the spell to Persephone, or at least, that's what she thought was being discussed. Persephone didn't _care_ about the semantics of the spell; she didn't care about what was going to be behind her foreseeable pain. She just wanted it over with.

A touch. She was jerked back into herself.

"Are you with us?" There was a strange look of worry on Freya's features, one that Persephone hadn't seen before, and it didn't look right. She nodded. It must've been unconvincing, because Freya tightened her grip of her forearm, glancing to the others who watched peculiarly. "Are you okay with everything?"

She couldn't help herself. She really couldn't; "Would it matter if I wasn't?" It came out weaker than she intended, showed her fear.

Freya looked taken aback, Kalypso awkward, but it was the one who she hadn't really met that answered. "Of _course_ it does." The brunette with bronzed skin and emerald eyes, hard and gentle eyes. She said it as though it was the obvious answer. It wasn't. It was her own opinion, noble, judicial, righteous, _human_ ; but not fact. And she was insignificant in all of it, _the witch_ , just a tool for the spell, so her thoughts meant nothing. It was her magic that was needed.

Persephone shook her head, suddenly impatient. "Let's just do this."

And then she stepped forward and she saw it and-

"-Oh my God what the hell is _that_?"

"A meadow viper." Freya answered.

"Which you would've known if you had been listening to her." Kalypso finished.

Biting down on her lower lip, Persephone avoided their stares. Her heart was tight in her chest, like a coiled spring, and it was as though at any moment it she was about to snap. She clenched her jaw, trying to focus her thoughts on the task ahead and away from any distractions. "You're using Greek magic?" Persephone questioned, noticing how someone had chalked a snake eating its tail on the concrete, and within, the symbol of the cosmos.

"Yes," Freya said, tentative. "Do you know it?"

Persephone shook her head, her mind flashing back to her mother telling her stories of great ancestors who used it to shield themselves. "It was long extinct by the time I was born. Apparently the Gods considered it depraved, that it was mortals trying to defy their power…" she trailed off, eyes running over the delicate intricacies of the symbols beneath her and all that they meant. She shook her head, "no. I just recognized you had drawn the Ouroboros and tetraktys on the ground. When she could, my mother used to draw them in every place we hid in, as protection."

Ignoring the inquisitive looks from the others, she let out a shaky breath and looked up at drifting clouds above, flinching at the harsh sunlight.

"I have no idea how I can be killed. But this is altering with the magic that makes me what I am. Could this kill me?"

"I've seen it, I believe it will be a suc-"

" _Could this kill me_?" Persephone cut through Kalypso's sentence, not caring for whatever she had seen or believed. She didn't want belief; she wanted truth.

Freya exhaled heavily, "Yes, it could."

Looking back down, she met Freya's eye, who watched her, brows furrowed and teeth clamped on her lower lip. The answer wasn't what she wanted to hear but it was the truth, and she was appreciative of her telling it. And so, Persephone was about to nod and tell them to continue on, but before she could voice the words, someone else spoke.

"I don't think we should do this."

It was the blonde, curly haired witch who said it, her eyes disapproving and arms crossed.

"Look at you, you're too weak." She nodded her head towards Persephone, referencing the sweat and shakes that wracked her body, causing Freya and Kalypso share worried glances with one another. "Just because _you_ ," she looked to Kalypso, her eyes narrowed and lip curled, "believe it won't kill her, doesn't mean it won't. She's not strong enough to do this."

"No," Persephone shook her head, though, not taking this. She caught all of their attention, and blonde witch's mouth was about to open once more to retort, however Persephone continued. " _No_. Kalypso said it earlier; time is a luxury we don't have. Every day we wait the closer the hunters are to finding and killing me. It doesn't matter if I _may_ die if we do this, because I _will_ die, and so will _all_ of you, if we don't."

She walked towards the center of the chalk drawings, waiting for them to follow her into form, but they didn't. Instead, Kalypso licked her lips, a look of pain washing over her face as she said, "Olivia is right. You're too weak right now and-"

"-I can help with that."

Persephone looked past the witch to find Kol standing in the archway, watching them.

Only minutes ago had his hand been in her chest and about to tear out her heart, only minutes ago had he been begging her to _try_ , only minutes ago had he called her out for being the coward that she was. Minutes and minutes ago they had been in the thick of their confrontation with each other, hurling words and tears and letting the pain flood. It was only minutes ago he had told her that he had been meaning to come back to her, that he hadn't abandoned her, and it was only minutes ago that she believed him, _she still did_ , when he told her this, for no other reason than she just did. It was all only minutes ago, the first time she had _been_ with Kol in three hundred years, after such a long time, had only been minutes ago.

She had spoke of her death to him only briefly like it was a fact, like she could see it hazy on the horizon, but it was only now hitting her. Persephone could _die_ , this could be the end for her, this could be all she has left; a nasty, ugly parting from Kol and a spell with some strange witches that would be the end of her. All of this, and then nothing, and suddenly all that had been only minutes ago to Persephone seemed like eons, like distant, blurry memories that she could hardly recall, let alone keep close to her chest.

And, _God_ , as her eyes met his, she felt something, deep, deep inside her chest, fucking blossom. And it was warm, it was tingly, it was soothing, and it quickly bled out into the rest of her body. It evaded the darkest parts of her brain faster than she could even comprehend. It tugged air into her defunct lungs and it jolted her heart awake. It electrocuted her, it was burning her, but it didn't hurt, it felt _good_. And then she heard the words that she had uttered many moments ago erupt.

" _We can't go back. We can't go back."_

It echoed in her head over and over again like a thrumming steel drum, and yet, each time it was softer, quieter, slighter. Each time the voice was weaker, meeker, as though the words held less meaning each time they repeated. She felt the vigorous belief those words once held, _only minutes ago_ , bleed out the tips of her fingers as they began to be overwhelmed by whatever was blossoming in her chest.

And it was wrong, so wrong, what she was feeling in that moment, because it felt _good_ and she wasn't supposed to feel good looking at Kol. She was supposed to feel pain, feel disdain, feel the _past_ , their past, their _bad_ past. But that wasn't what she was feeling and it wasn't right.

But how could something that felt so good be wrong?

Kol stared at her, into her, like he _knew_. What? She hardly had any idea what was happening, what she was thinking, what she was feeling. Yet there was something in his eyes, not contempt or anger or scorn or revulsion but _something else_ that she couldn't read, couldn't understand, or even begin to.

Because of what she was feeling, whatever it was, Persephone felt pathetic, she felt weak, she felt fickle, not knowing what was happening to her just that she didn't feel the same way as she had before, minutes ago. She didn't feel so steadfast, so sure, so resolute, that she didn't want him, want Kol.

She felt something yanking at her heart. And she couldn't ignore it, but worse yet, she didn't want to.

Persephone turned away from him.

And then Kalypso scoffed, the moment over, because that's all it actually was, _a moment_. The oracle shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. "I thought you ran off," she leered, irritant at his presence, probably because of his previous questioning of her.

"Yes, and then I remembered that if you did this without me you'd fail." Kol retorted easily, strolling towards them, a smirk on his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Before Kalypso could open her mouth to release a tirade, it was, surprisingly enough, Bonnie who said, with no lacking in animosity, "how could _you_ possibly help, Kol?"

Kol's eyes moved over to Bonnie's, a muscle in his jaw twitching and her lips pursing, arms crossed and stares of loathing. They held tense eye contact for a long moment.

There was no doubt in Persephone's mind that Kol had done something to piss the witch off in the past.

He showed them the chain laced around his hand, and at the center of his palm a black jewel pendant. "Persephone can draw from me during the spell. It was my mother's." It was a talisman, one that that he could channel and magnify his power into.

She looked up to him and Kol, after turning away from Bonnie, down to her. She took in his finger-raked hair and blood stained fists, and he her purple-bagged eyes and wounded hand. She could feel the stinging familiarity that his presence brought her.

She hated herself for it, she really did, but Persephone was glad he was there.

"It's a good idea," she said, looking away from him to the others, voicing what she knew everyone was thinking but were probably unsure of saying.

There was a moment of silence when they stared back at her, almost expectantly.

Kol then shattered it by walking over to stand next to her.

" _Well_?" he asked, looking to his older sister impatiently. "Can we get bloody started?"

Kalypso instructed them to lie down, within the Ouroboros chalked onto the floor, beside each other. The concrete was cool on her skin, and it took everything in her power to stare straight ahead, up at the sky, while the witches gathered their supplies, and not at Kol. From the corner of her eye Persephone could see him doing the exact same thing.

For a split second, she wondered if he felt as conflicted as she did, felt a force urging him to go over to her and hold on and never let go yet felt something else at the forefront of his brain telling him not to, and then she remembered _he knew exactly what he wanted_ or at least, he had. _She_ was the confused one. And then she felt stupid for thinking of matters of the heart with was she was about to face.

Shutting her eyes for a second, she willed her mind to clear and calm, but hearing a snake hiss, Persephone let out a shaky, useless breath, _focusing_ , knowing what was coming.

"Here," Kol said, and she opened her eyes to look at him, seeing that he was stretching out across the small space between them and taking her hand in his, the pendant pressed into her skin, expression earnest. He was warm; _of course_ he was warm, and so achingly familiar.

With the brown tessellated snake coiled around her arm and the head between her fingers, Kalypso made her way over to them while Bonnie, Freya, and Olivia gathered behind her. Kneeling down beside her, Persephone watched as Kalypso took her wrist and brought it over to the snake's mouth, now wide open with its fine teeth out on display.

Persephone tensed as Kalypso said, eyes wide and jaw set, "this may hurt" and clamped the snake's fangs into her skin.

It was almost anticlimactic. It hurt as expected, but Persephone had been through so much pain and torture in her life that the two little puncture wounds from the snake's bite felt like nothing. After many moments, it writhed around Kalypso's arm, seemingly done with its bite, but the witch held its head there still, her gaze on Persephone, expectant. And she was about to ask what Kalypso was waiting for, and then she felt it; the _venom_.

It was a jolt of electricity up her arm and through the rest of her body, and she let out a hiss of pain. It was as though it was corroding her blood, like an acid disintegrating her from the inside. It moved through her like a flood of pain, and she screwed her eyes shut as a burning agony struck behind her eyes. And when she opened them again, she saw red, tasted blood, smelt it.

"What the _fuck_ ," she murmured as she seized up, and it was at this point that Kalypso _finally_ decided to take the snake away, handing it back to Bonnie. Persephone turned to Kol, blinking and convulsing and not knowing what the _hell_ the venom was doing to her. And from what she barely could see, he was looking back at her, his brows furrowed and lips turned in a frown.

"It's a hemotoxin." Kalypso supplied as she rose, and turned around to continue on with the steps, still speaking. "It destroys red blood cells, which causes bleeding, such as from the gums, eyes, nose, _brain_. Normally it takes a while for the venom to travel through the body, but- _well_ , we didn't have that kind of time."

Lifting himself up on his elbow, Kol glanced over Persephone as she continued on shaking, tightening his hand on hers.

And she almost wanted to smile at him, wanted to thank him for being there even though he didn't really have to, even if it may've been for selfish reasons, to look in his eyes because _fuck_ she had missed them no matter how much they hurt her. But she couldn't, she couldn't do any of that because every single muscle in her body jolted and stiffened and she couldn't do anything but let her stare rip to the sky, the goring red sky, as her back arched, as she choked more blood from her lungs, and waited.

Persephone had no control over her muscles yet she could feel everything and it _hurt_.

And it hurt.

And then it was gone. As though it was never there in the first place.

She was back, limp, exhausted, completely shattered, on the concrete ground, blinking the bloody away from her eyes.

Then Kol cursed, arm jerking in a way that tugged her closer to him with a " _what_ is-"

Then she saw it. The thick spear between Freya's hands, six feet across of hard, marbled timber with sharp, pointed end. Persephone's eyes widened at the mere sight of it and just as she began to scramble away from it Kol had let go of her and grabbed her face between his hands. She looked at him, seeing the unnerved searching spark in his eyes, and he looked at her, seeing the sheer and utter panic erupting in her eyes and-

He snapped her neck.

Persephone didn't know what he had done, or that he was going to do anything at all before he did it, she just knew that as she looked at Kol she didn't feel so sad anymore. Centuries of pain that the mere thought of him brought dissolved right then and there and for the first time in a while, just as she was about to be impaled with a spear, she felt strangely _light_ , even if it was just for a moment.

It was nothingness for a while.

And then it was dark. Persephone lifted herself to her feet, sucking oxygen into her lungs and smelling the fresh air. There was a hill, grass wet with dew, a silky breeze breathing in the air, the silhouette of a sprawling building in the distance… _stars_ , stars hanging over her head, stars lighting her face, stars watching her. And she knew where she was; she knew it like she knew the back of her palm.

She couldn't help but let out a laugh, clutch the skirts of her dress in her hands and run up the slope to the top, the sky almost spinning around her, engulfing her like a blanket. _God_ , there were tears in her eyes, whether from the wind or something else, she didn't particularly know, but she felt them build up and fall over down her now aching cheeks.

There was a lightness in her chest as she stared above, and she let where she had just been mere seconds ago slip from her mind, she let the fact that she could be dying right now dissipate, she let the fact that none of it was real vanish.

"This was the only place I could think of."

She looked at him, and seeing Kol in his twenty-first century clothes told her that it wasn't a dream; he was in her head. And he was watching her, some sad smile on his lips and his hands clasped in front of him.

Persephone looked away, up.

" _The stars_ …"

Kol stepped up beside her, his gaze trailing with hers. "I know."

"I haven't seen this many stars in so long," her voice was a whisper and she met his eyes, held his stare. Those eyes that had once been so familiar to her that were now so foreign to her, pulled on her heartstrings, pulled her back into her head, images of his smiling, his jokes, his words, his touches, his kisses, his unsaid 'I love you's that hadn't needed to be uttered at the time. All these things that had penetrated her mind at the time and then had been coldly torn away, leaving a hole, all of these things that she thought were empty, blown-up matter just to deflate and create an un-fillable space, all of these things were coming back to her, _forcing_ her to remember, to _see_ that they were not a fake reality.

And then she realized what she had been feeling earlier when she saw Kol standing in that archway: _hope_. Persephone would've felt appalled with herself for feeling something so disgustingly emotionally indulgent, if it hadn't felt so good, hadn't felt like something that made everything else not matter, hadn't felt like something she never wanted to let go. She almost felt a tightness in her chest release because she _finally_ , finally knew what she wanted.

Kol swallowed, blinked, then looked down, a smirk licking his lips as he met her eyes again and said, "stupid industrial revolution."

The comment took Persephone back, light in the midst of such an intense moment. She was quiet for a couple of seconds, and then, she laughed. It was crooked but gentle tune, one that she hadn't heard fall from her lips in a while, and she shook her head, watching as a full-scale grin now over took his face and he chuckled along with her.

It was nice, it was peace, tranquility, weightlessness, _forgetting_. Yet, it only lasted a few moments, and then the silence returned and stretched out between them, and she couldn't find it in herself to lift her eyes to the stars that she had missed so much. Instead, she found herself back where she had been only a minute ago, looking into Kol's eyes, now solemn.

She sighed and- "what's happening now?"

Kol glanced down at his toes; reluctance flashing over his face but it was gone as soon at he looked back up. "Freya's rammed the spear in your chest and they're collecting your blood in a brass bowl." knowing she didn't like sugar coating, his words were blunt, but his tone soft.

Instinctively, Persephone's hand went to her chest, thinking of her real body, where the skin was torn apart and the bones snapped and her heart impaled. Her mind went back to earlier, with Kol's own hand in her chest, clutching her heart, and she tried to figure out if that hurt less than what was currently happening.

" _Persephone_."

His voice brought her back to herself.

"You'll be fine." he was comforting her, an encouraging smile on his face, his eyes tender, but he didn't touch her. "Nothing's going to go wrong. I mean, Freya was a little annoyed about what I did-"

She let out a laugh, wiping away a dumb tear from her cheek.

"But it doesn't matter. You'll be okay, it's going to be okay."

Persephone released a heavy breath, and a beat passed.

And another. And then-

" _Is it_?"

The smile slipped from his face, and he licked his lips, and he swallowed, and he sighed, and he said nothing. He _could_ say nothing. Her words rammed themselves even further into the crack in his heart, and he could feel the ache turn into a dull throbbing in his chest, and he could feel the pain knot itself and clog up his throat, and he could feel all the time, the lost time, _their_ lost time, sprinkle down before him and slip through his fingers like golden sand, so much lost in one grain yet unavoidable.

"I've felt so much pain," she began, her voice thick and hoarse, "all through my life. You know all of it; I shared that pain with you. And then you- I _thought_ you left me, all I _knew_ was that you left me, when I was at my weakest, and it felt like you were giving all that pain back and adding more. It had only been four years Kol, _four years_ , and yet losing you, knowing- thinking I never had you when you had all of me, it caused me more agony than ever before. It scarred me."

Her words caught in her throat when she saw his eyes glimmer, of course not in joy, but in building tears.

"I spent more than three centuries never coming back from that. Those four years… What they caused me to feel… I let- They _became me_."

She felt the skin on the back of her neck tingle and burn. She felt her eyelids and limbs grow heavy with fatigue. She felt her mind scream and cry and rip itself in two. She felt a weight, _the_ weight, the one that had grown in her like a tumor since 1702, she felt it swell and tear and twist in her chest.

She thought of all the pain he had caused her, she thought of how none of it was his fault, she thought of how it was all a lie, some dumb, fucking misunderstanding; a _misunderstanding_ was what caused her three centuries of suffering, not Kol. It was a distorted situation, bleeding images and disfigured feelings, things that made no sense, but then again, she could turn people to stone with her fucking eyes, nothing _made sense_. She thought of all the time she could've had with him if it weren't for that lie, that miscommunication, all the time she could've been with Kol and been happy, all the time that was stolen from her. But then she thought of what would happen if she got back with him, she thought of all that suffering he had caused her amounting to nothing, she thought of it as losing who she was as a person, she thought of it all as a waste. And yet… _It wasn't his fault_. Her suffering wasn't by his hand. Being with him again wasn't going to end the same way, and _maybe that was the point of it all_.

Because she really did love him. Persephone had never said it to his face. She had felt it, but saying it terrified her. She knew he felt the same way, she knew he was scared of saying it, and she knew that she didn't need to hear it for it to matter.

"You came back and I believed everything you told me… I don't know why. I didn't want to believe you, but I did. Maybe because it was the final piece that gave everything sense."

His lips were pressed into a thin line and he was biting the inside of his cheek, watching her, his eyes glassy and soul hanging off a cliff.

"You were right. I am a coward." she admitted, almost flinching at the tremble in her voice, her heart lodged in her throat. "I- I thought that if I… if we went back, that I'd lose myself. But the thing is… After I thought you left, I lost myself and I never _came_ back."

She touched him, wiping a tear away from his cheekbone, stepping closer.

"I don't like who I am without you. And I don't want to feel this way anymore."

He just stood there; still, gazing down at her, astonishment so potent in his eyes, as though he could hardly believe was what happening

"I'm _so_ tired of it all."

She was done. She felt like there was nothing else left to be said, at least not in that moment. And he was quiet, painfully so, but she waited, softly stroking his cheek, feeling something tighten in her chest at the silence began to extend.

Persephone almost pulled back her hand, and then-

"I'm sorry I hurt you."

 _That_ ,that really killed her. And she shook her head; biting down on her lip and feeling tears bleed down from her eyes. " _Oh Kol_ ," her voice cracked, and her other hand lifted to cradle his face, "it wasn't _your_ fault, I know that now. It wasn't just me, it was you too, I hurt you _too_ , as much as I thought you hurt me. I'm-" the words stuck in her throat as a sob escaped her lips, and Kol brought her into his arms.

He was warm, so warm, as warm as she remembered. He tightened his grip around her, and she felt a breath shudder through his chest, she felt her tears dampen his shirt, she felt him rest his head on top of hers, she felt his heart beat against her cheek.

"I'm sorry."

She thought of what Klaus told her, of what had happened when Klaus had finally undaggered Kol, of how it now made sense. Persephone thought of him lying still, staring at the ceiling blankly, she thought of the bloodlust that must've wracked his system, she thought of the agony that must've torn through him. Her mind formed this image, with Kol with sallow skin and empty eyes and a broken heart. She _knew_ it, she _felt_ it. It had been her who did it to him, and it was all _her fault._

" _I'm so sorry Kol_."

But he hushed her, stroked her hair as she grappled at his back, so achingly tender that it just made her feel that much worse, and so she apologized again, and again, and again, until she didn't even notice the words falling from her lips, just that she knew what it was like to think you were abandoned by someone. It had been the worst pain she had ever felt, and she created it in Kol.

The thought of that just broke her heart all over again.

"It's okay, Persephone. It's _okay_ , I forgive you, you didn't know what you were doing. I forgive you."

They broke apart, looking at one another, both finding that they had been crying, both finding themselves, both finding each other. He held her face between his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheeks, and her hands were fisted in the front of his tear-stained shirt. A chill ran down her spine, but it was less to do with the breeze in the air and more to do with the gentleness in his gaze. Kol's eyes were so tender, and she could _already_ see he forgave her completely.

But she felt sick, she felt the full force of emotional pain pummeling into her; this time is wasn't her own, however, it was the thought of what Kol's had been. It was the pain that she had pumped a plethora of drugs into her body to stop in its place, it was the pain that had wrecked her, and it was Kol's pain.

"Kol I'm…" she whispered, feeling her stomach heave, her eyes drifting down to her hands. "I'm sorry I pushed you away before. I- I _am_ a coward and… and I don't deserve-"

" _Stop_ , Persephone," Kol cut through her, forcing her to look up at him, "stop apologizing. I- I bloody stuck my _hand_ in your chest and was about to tear your heart out-"

"-I knew you wouldn't do it-"

"-It doesn't matter. We've both done things we regret, and things have happened to us that we regret. But it doesn't matter anymore. I… You're," he lowered himself down so his eyes were level with hers, and he licked his lips before saying, words so vehement, "you're all I've ever wanted, ever _needed_. I deserve you as much as you deserve me."

Her eyes flickered over his face, she let his words sink in and as they did so she felt all that she had been holding onto, slip between her fingers, and she let it. And Persephone felt a lull come over her, as the stars glittered above and the wind threaded through her hair and the grass tickled her feet and Kol held her, and she felt _light_ and… Something else, it wasn't a particularly familiar feeling, but it permeated her bones and it felt amazing.

Persephone's hands slid up to cradle Kol's own face between them as he straightened up at her small, surfacing smile.

"I want you."

Kol's eyes drifted from her own and to her lips as his thumbs ghosted over them, and his breathing labored.

And she thought he was about to kiss her, she really did, especially as he whispered " _I know_ " and his head started to dip down to hers, and she was ready. But at the last moment, the last second, he went rigid, leaned back as she leaned in, looked up to the sky, a frown deepening on his face.

She watched him in confusion, and then- "what's happening?"

He let out a heavy breath, his hands on her tightening, and he looked back down to her. Kol's eyes traced over her features, so close yet achingly distant, and she felt the world around her shrinking as a million thoughts ran through her mind but all came down to one; _the spell hadn't worked_. And at that terrible, terrible thought she felt her throat constrict, she felt a shadow come over her, she saw her death looming in the distance, and even worse, _Kol's_ death.

Persephone couldn't help the choking sound that escaped her throat as his silence extended past what seemed to be hours but was likely only seconds. At that, Kol seemed to come back to himself and blinked and shook his head.

"No- _No_ , it worked, Persephone, the spell _worked_."

And with those mere words, she felt as though the world was lifted from her shoulders. Tears spilt out of her eyes, in happiness for the first time because although they were nowhere near a solution to the whole problem, not even _close_ , it was the first thing that had gone right for a long time.

Kol grinned down at her and a laugh left her lips because she could hardly believe it all, and suddenly she was in the air, the stars spinning around her and the wind in her hair and Kol's hands on her waist and she had never felt so free. And her feet soon found the grass and her arms were wrapped around his neck and their foreheads were pressed together and it was _electric_.

Looking at him, him looking at her, she felt, saw, heard the past dissolve behind her and all that mattered was ahead of her.

Persephone felt something pull at her heart, something that made it leap, that made it fucking sing. And his lips were on hers and she closed her eyes and they were kissing, and it was like a bolt of lightning through her soul because she knew that was exactly where she was supposed to be. It was euphoria, ecstasy coursing through her bloodstream, a fervent delirium that rooted her in her spot yet lifted her up all at the same time. It was like all their past kisses mixed into one, all of the feelings of them combined into one. But the past was in the past and it wasn't hers any more, all she needed was what was ahead of her to know where she was going. She could taste the sweetness and mint and feel the smile tugging at his lips and _everything_ that was in the kiss and Persephone knew Kol was all she needed, all she wanted.

And he broke it, resting his head against hers with this gentle adoration in his eyes that she just _knew_ her own must've mirrored. Persephone didn't know how long they had stayed there for; she could've been there forever. But then he let out a breath, a sigh, and pulled her into an embrace, cradling her head against his chest.

"I have to go."

She knew it must've been coming. She didn't want it. Nestling her head against him, she closed her eyes and just relaxed into him. After a long moment of this, she asked the question, "how long do you think until I recover?"

He swallowed, ran his fingers through her hair. "Six, seven hours, maybe a little longer because you were quite weak when it happened."

And Kol pulled away, and he cupped her cheek in one hand while the other slid down her arm to squeeze her hand.

"I'll be right there when you wake up. We have a lot to talk about."

And Persephone nodded, a small smile on her lips as she lifted herself up to peak him on the lips and tighten him into one last embrace. "I'll be waiting."

Then he was gone and she was hugging air. Then she was gone, with one last feeling striking her; serenity.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to return to a year long hiatus, _God forbid_ , but there also won't be weekly or even monthly updates. I can take a while to write, and I also have another story. But I'll to my best.
> 
> I do love reviews (and thanks so, so much to those who do leave them, you guys are the best), they mean the absolute world to any writer and they really help me find the drive to write more often, but I'm also not going to grovel for them anymore. I mean, it's all I used to do with previous chapters and that didn't really work ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. You all _know_ I want reviews, and if you don't want to give them then me repeatedly begging for them isn't really going to change anything. If I sound bitter it's because I am. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! X
> 
> **Next Chapter - Persephone wakes up after the spell and there are some things she and Kol need to sort out, with one another, and with others.**


	19. Apologies

Her bones felt heavy and her muscles ached but she could feel the sun kissing her face. Persephone shifted her head on the pillow, wiped her hand over the soft bed covers, and sighed. She stayed like this for a while, almost falling back asleep until she was jolted wide-awake by the memory of what had happened.

And she opened her eyes and Kol was seated beside her, _there_ , just like he said he would be. He hadn't noticed she was awake, instead staring out the window pensively. Persephone watched him; watched him clench his jaw, squint his eyes at the sun, watched him run his hand through his hair, lick his lips, watched him meet her eyes and return the small smile that tugged at her lips.

She sat up a little bit, as much as she could move her force her tired body to move, and then rasped, "you're here" before finishing off in a hacking cough because _God_ she was thirsty.

Kol knew, lifting the glass of water from the nightstand and bringing it to her lips, allowing her to drink, while he said, "of course I am."

And when she was done, when he placed the glass back on the table, when the silence returned, he regarded her and she him. Persephone was looking for any signs of worry, anxiety, fear. She knew the spell had worked, but she didn't know the aftermath, and she was almost too scared to ask. She didn't need to.

"They've planted the beacon, all we can do now is wait."

Persephone nodded, looked down at her hands, let out a shaky breath, feeling something grip her heart in an iron fist, and then- "what if it doesn't work?"

There were seconds of silence that grated her skin, and then she saw, she felt Kol's hand over her own, bringing her attention to his eyes, so earnest and sure. "It mightn't." he shook his head, shrugged his shoulders. "But there is no point in worrying about it, you know that. All we can do is wait and see."

She did know it; that didn't stop her from worrying. But she nodded at him, she laced her fingers through his, she smiled when he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. And she tried as she to just _be_ , something that she hadn't done in a while and something that was harder than she would've like to admit. Yet with Kol there, it was all that she wanted. She could have it.

"It's weird, isn't it?"

Kol's quiet voice broke her train of thought with those words, and tilting her head to the side, she watched him questionably, trying to gauge his meaning. But he was looking at their hands, eyes intent and avoiding.

"Being… together, after so long. A lot has happened, I've changed, and so have you."

There was a long pause, and she let his words sink in, and she felt and saw what Kol felt and saw. Then, Persephone found her answer, licked her lips, and admitted, " _it is_ ", and then, "but it feels right."

She couldn't help the dumb small grin that surfaced on her features, not sure if it was because of how she felt or because of her overly-cliché words, and soon his stare met hers. It was then that she saw it; the reluctant look in his eyes, and an icy cold dread cut through her blood because there was _something there_ , something in those reluctant eyes that meant more than what they showed. The sigh that Kol let out confirmed her fears.

"…What-"

"We need to talk."

A beat passed. " _Okay_ ," she said, almost impatiently, "is there anything you wanted to talk about in particular?"

"Yes."

She raised her brows, and was about to throw her hands up in the air when Kol suddenly pushed her sleeve further up her arm and held the crook of her elbow, tracing his fingers over it.

"What are these?"

And she froze, staring down at the track marks on her skin, at the black vessels that extended along the middle of her arm, at the hard red sores that scabbed along them. Then, coming back to herself, she wrenched her arm away from him and pulled the fabric of her shirt back down.

It didn't matter. Kol had already seen them. But it didn't stop the words that instinctively left her mouth.

"Nothing."

He leaned back in his seat, stared at her stony-faced for a long moment, then rose up and walked across the room. "Okay," he started, lifting a bag up and tossing the contents over her bed before she could even realize what was happening. "What are _these_?"

The used needles, the clean needles, the containers of pills, the powders, the spoons, the lighters, the bottles, the dollar bills- _all of it_ was out in the open before her eyes, before Kol's eyes. The room was spinning, and she wasn't sure if it was because of how tired she was or something else. But she stared at them all, now no longer able to even _try_ and deny anything because the evidence was all there, and words were stuck in her throat.

Then she looked up at him, and they dislodged themselves.

" _Why_ were you going through my stuff, Kol? Who said-"

" _-Oh my God_! Persephone!" he shouted, turning away from her in exasperation before facing her again. She crossed her arms, sat up a bit straighter, feeling stupid just sitting there, half under the covers, but unable to move any more. "Don't try- I- If it makes the matters any better, I was looking for your clothes to get you dressed and the bag was open. But don't try and turn this on _me_ , Persephone!"

" _But it is about you_!" she yelled back before she could control herself, feeling her dumb heart leap up her throat, smacking her hand against her forehead as she took in a few sharp breaths. Persephone could see from the fringe of her vision that he was still, that he was watching her, that he was waiting. Instead of looking at him, she wrapped her arms around herself, as tight as her tired limbs could take, and stared at all the stuff on her bed, the stuff that had once been her salvation but were now the bane of her existence. Humiliation that had been creeping up on her now came in waves. She would've cried if she hadn't been so exhausted.

Kol walked forward, pushed some packages to the side, and sat on the edge of her bed. She could feel his eyes on her, searing her skin, yet he remained quiet.

"I missed you so much, Kol…" the words were thick but watery, and she could hear his breath catch in his throat. "I was so, _so_ lonely and… They helped me."

A sharp breath came out from Kol's lips and the embarrassment she was feeling must've burnt her face by now.

"I… I wasn't addicted, not like a human gets addicted, at least. My body wasn't dependent on them. But I did _need_ them."

He was silent, and she made the mistake of glancing at him because the sight broke her heart; Kol was hunched over, eyes gleaming like shattered glass and wide to stop the tears from falling, his jaw wound tight and nostrils flared. It wasn't anger, though, she knew what he was like angry and it wasn't that, it was something else, something darker, something deeper, something crueler; something like shame.

She took a breath and leaned over, took his hand in her own, and he looked up and before she knew it she was smashed against his chest as his arms looped around her.

His hand was gently stroking her hair and she was relaxed into his touch until she heard those three words leave his lips; "I'm so sorry."

At them, she pushed him away roughly and took his face between her hands, feeling his cheeks damp. " _No_ ," she forced out, shaking him a little. " _Why_ are you saying sorry, Kol? Why?"

" _I_ gave you the opium first, _I_ forced it down your throat, _I_ caused you to-"

"-It was _my_ choice Kol, to- to use drugs. _Mine_. It was a choice I _continued_ on making. You may've forced me to use it at first, but I wasn't addicted, I chose to continue using. _Okay_? It's not your fault. I don't want you to apologize."

And with that, she pressed a short, hard kiss on his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. They stayed like that for a while, his hands in her hair and hers drawing gentle patterns on his back. It was peaceful, serene, the air quiet around them. Persephone felt like fire was welding her heart back together but it didn't hurt, it was healing. And at the same time, she could feel her heartstrings tie themselves back into Kol's but it didn't scare her, it made her feel stronger.

He pulled back, eyes bleary, and tugged her arm towards him, pushing the sleeve up. He stared at it for a while, at the hideous crawling veins and red crusts of blood that were stark against her pallid skin. She stared as well, feeling her face become hot at the marks of her weakness because it all seemed _so long ago_ , all that pain, and yet it'd hardly been a day since they were what she was. Persephone had let it go, she had, but they were there to remind her and-

"I used to binge on the blood of drug addicts," he said, not meeting her eyes, his gaze still glued to her arm, his fingers tracing the skin. "Drugs don't really affect me, my metabolism goes through them too quickly, but the blood did. It probably didn't have the same effect on me as they did on you but…" his eyes, withered and dark, drifted up to hers, and it was a stare that she knew too well from her own reflection. "They were something more."

She said nothing, instead, clasped his hand and squeezed it as much as she could. He knew.

"I did other awful things, of course. I just really couldn't help myself. I'd never been able to… _well_ , until I met you. And then those things I used to find so much amusement in, just didn't really mean much anymore."

Kol let out a hard breath and Persephone herself could feel the weight pressing down on his chest. His fingertips were still soft on her skin and her hand was still laced through his. "We can only go forward now."

And he nodded, a fondness washing out his eyes. "We can only go forward."

"It's…" she took in a heavy breath, willed her voice steady. "It's not going to be easy."

A small smile cracked across Kol's face. "It never was, Persephone."

"We…"

 _Won't have much time_.

"I…"

_Will probably die soon, with or without you._

He'd heard it the day before, back when he was too deafened to understand the truth of it. Now Kol sat there, listening and patient, only inches away, looking calm and happy, and Persephone found she didn't want to cast doom over the rest of whatever time they had left together; she wanted to _know_ him again, hear of his thoughts and feelings and about the past she'd missed out on. She wouldn't say it all, she couldn't say it.

So she pushed those thoughts into the oblivion of her mind, and returned his small grin.

"Help me up."

They left her room, just left it, drugs and destroyed furniture and all, to go downstairs. A part of Persephone almost wanted to stay there in that little bubble that were the four walls of her bedroom, but she couldn't live that way anymore, they couldn't.

So, leaning on Kol's arm for support, as she still felt weak from everything, they went downstairs, pragmatically for food, yet really to hear news, if there was any, on what was happening. The courtyard was derelict, but when they entered the dining room, _well_ , that was when they were stopped in the doorway by the stares of Kol's three siblings.

And what stares they were. Rebekah's was blatantly gawking as though she couldn't really believe what she was seeing, while Elijah was more stiff and reserved, and Klaus just curious. Neither of them said anything, instead, they seemed hesitant, as though they were fearful of what would happen. Kol and Persephone remained quiet as well, and this lasted for a very long moment, and then Kol let out a huff, tugged on her arm as he moved forward towards the bar.

Persephone could feel their eyes on her back but she just held onto Kol tighter. Piling toast onto her plate as Kol poured some blood from a crystal decanter into a glass, she heard someone clear their throat.

"How are you?" It was Elijah who asked the question, and Persephone could see the almost pensive look on his face as she turned around to take her seat, her muscles groaning.

"Okay," the words were a whisper from her lips and she swallowed a couple of times as Kol pulled out a chair for her. Persephone's eyes flickered up to the three, who seemed to be watching her and Kol's every move in trepidation. "Just tired."

There was another extended silence. Persephone stared at the table as she ate, Kol coldly at his siblings as he drank, his siblings at them as they just stood there, waiting for whatever it was they were anticipating. Her skin crawled under their eyes and she could feel the pressure of whatever it was they wanted thickening in the air around her and no matter how much she wanted to ask them how the aftermath of the spell was going, she felt like she couldn't, there was just something so _uncomfortable_ in the way they were just _there_ , in their odd behavior.

And she could feel Kol was tense beside her. So she reached out and took his hand in her own, and they glanced at each other, small smiles coming to their faces despite all the _weirdness_ of the foreign situation. And that seemed to be enough because-

"-Well if no one's going to ask then I will!" Rebekah blurted out, taking a seat across from them and sprawling her hands out on the surface before her, looking at them with a frank expression. "What the _hell_?"

A bitter leer pulled at Kol's lips and he leaned forward in his seat. "What 'what the hell', Rebekah? Are you a bit _confused_ about what's happened? Do you feel like you're _missing_ something?" even though he practically spat the words out, there was a cool calmness in his voice that almost made shivers run down Persephone's spine.

Rebekah, and Elijah behind her back, had the decency to look ashamed. "Okay, Kol, I'm… regretful about what we did. But we just thought it was for the best."

His grip around Persephone's hand tightened and she could see the muscles in his jaw working. " _Okay_ ," he said, and it sounded painfully restrained. " _Okay_. Rebekah, _Elijah_ , please do tell. What did you think you knew about my relationship with Persephone that caused you to come to the conclusion to invade my brain and erase my memories?"

Persephone felt her heart sink and her throat dry up, because she _hadn't_ known that they had done that, that they'd wiped his memory. While maybe she didn't know it and condone it, she was still complicit in it because she was the one who didn't want him around. Turning, she looked to Kol, feeling vomit scratch the back of her throat and guilt weigh heavy in her stomach, but Kol only had eyes for his siblings. And their silence was telling. Persephone looked at them, then, unsure of if she was angrier with them or herself.

"Hm," it was after the long moment that Kol let out the sound through his closed lips, and he suddenly slammed his hands down on the table, rising from his chair. "You have no excuse because you knew _nothing_ , you _know_ nothing. And do you know why? Because you never actually saw Persephone and I in the same room, awake, together, until yesterday. And do you know why that is?"

Persephone's head snapped up to Kol.

" _Because someone told her I abandoned her_."

And Kol's stare lifted to Klaus'.

"Who do you think did that, _Nik_?"

Klaus' face was steely and his stance steady, and he maintained eye contact with his younger brother. "I did what I had to do."

Rebekah let out a rueful sign, gave Klaus a scathing look as she got to her feet and left the room, all the while shaking her head, because while she wasn't faultless, she was still far less guilty than _him_. Elijah sat back in his seat and wiped his hand over his face, remaining silent, neutral. Kol's stare ignited and his fingers curled into white fists.

And Persephone felt a hatred flower at the center of her chest and twirl and vine and tighten around her heart. Tears filled her eyes because before she had just wanted to forget it all, forget what Klaus had done, dismiss it all as his dumb damaged bullshit that just so happened to ruin her and Kol's lives; she had wanted to dismiss it because it didn't matter anymore, she had Kol back. But _now_ , with Kol bringing it up, so obviously not letting it go, she felt the lost time stab her in the back over and over again, reminding her that _this had all been Klaus_. It hadn't been fate, it hadn't been destiny, it hadn't been written in the stars and a fixed future; it had all been Klaus.

And she hated him.

"You did what you wanted to do, brother. You always have." Kol spat out. "You just couldn't stand that _I_ , for once in my wretched life, had someone who actually wanted me and not-"

"-You had burned half the city down!" Klaus yelled back, pointing his finger at Kol's face accusingly as he strode forward. "Mikael was on our tail and I presumed you were as _insane_ as always and weren't going to willingly come with us! I wasn't about to leave you behind to die so I daggered you, but Persephone compromised that. Telling her what I said was the only way to stop her."

Kol stepped back in an instant, and then slowly, his eyes widening and shoulders slumping. "Oh my God," he said softly, incredulously, shaking his head. " _You actually believe that_? Or do you just think I'm stupid enough to believe such a load of bullshit?"

A laughing scoff left Klaus' lips and he shrugged, holding his hands up and backing away. "You know what? I don't have to convince you of anything. If you don't believe the truth then I can't force you, Kol."

And with that, Klaus turned and made for the door to escape.

"You don't feel any remorse, do you?"

He stilled at Persephone's unsteady voice as she shakily rose to her feet, leaning heavily on the table, feeling sick tears prick her eyes. And he turned back at her, his face expressionless, completely silent.

"By that, you don't feel any remorse for ruining our lives? For ruining your brother's life? For ruining my life?" With each raw word, she took a step further around the table to come face to face with him. He looked down at her, eyes dull, and she looked up at him, heavy breaths tearing through her and bile rising up her throat. "Because _that's_ what you did, you destroyed my life with your unnecessary lies. I always thought it was Kol, but it was _you_ who ruined me."

There was some minute weakening in his stare, but it wasn't enough. "You've recovered since, you both have. It's called collateral damage."

And at that easy, light sentence, Persephone found within herself a hysterical strength and she punched Klaus square in the jaw. But that wasn't enough, even though his head snapped to the side, so she did it again on the other side, and then in the stomach, then in the chest, and then again and again until tears streamed down her face and she couldn't really tell what she was doing just that she needed to get it out, she needed to _hurt_ him. He took it for a while but then tired of it and soon enough he had both of her wrists in his fist in an iron grip and his jaw was jutted and his nostrils flaring and eyes furious and mouth snarling. And for a split second, she was _scared._

Then Klaus was skidding across the floorboards and Kol was in front of Persephone, advancing forward on his brother who was sprawled on the floor.

"Don't you _ever_ touch her like that _again_!" Kol's voice was a vicious roar, a ferocious and splitting scream, and Klaus was leaning on the ground wiping blood away from his nose and glaring up at his little brother in ire. Elijah was on his feet, ever tentative, concerned; yet still not intervening. But even from behind, Persephone, rooted to her spot, could see Kol was _absolutely livid_ , his fists tight and back hunched and body almost shaking in anger. "You've already hurt her enough for a _lifetime_."

Klaus' eyes flashed yellow and Kol was slammed against the wall by his throat, his feet dangling under him and hands grappling at Klaus' that gripped around his throat. Persephone could hear the heaving breaths leaving Klaus' mouth and Elijah's steps as he moved towards his brothers and his voice as it called their names in a stern, commanding voice thatwasn't enough, and she looked down at her red wrists that _that was it_.

She was going to kill him.

She was faster than Elijah as she slipped between Kol and Klaus, feeling blood scream in her ears and her heart coiling tightly and Klaus looked down at her practically _growling._ And for a second she questioned what she was doing, then she slapped her hands on either side of his face, staring into the face of the man who had inflicted complete _agony_ , complete _destruction_ , on her life, and those words were the easiest things that had ever left her lips.

" _Demiourgo pyr en_ -"

"- _NO_ -"

It all happened in a snap. Kol's hands slapped her back, then that strained sound escaped his mouth, then Klaus let go of Kol, then Kol collapsed behind her as Klaus stepped back. And as all this happened Klaus' face twisted from anger to utter petrification, the snarl dropping off his lips and his eyes going wide as he stared down at her. He was completely still, hand slowly falling in front of him and his eyes fixed on hers, as though he was in a trance.

Maybe he realized he was only one word away from imminent death. Or maybe it was the slightest of glimpses he may have gotten of her eyes without their glamour. Or maybe it was the realization that he was not as invincible as he always thought. Maybe it was all of that. She didn't know, she didn't _care_ , and it took every last ounce of strength in her to not whisper that last word and kill him for good, but she did it for Kol.

It was his coughing from the floor behind her that pulled her back from that edge, and she twisted away and knelt beside him as Elijah came up before his brother with a worried sounding " _Niklaus_?"

She brushed Kol's hair back from his face as he sucked air back into his lungs. Their eyes met, and she could see the pain in them, the pain from just being suffocated, from properly confronting his brother who had caused him so much emotional agony, the pain from having to save that brother from what he probably deserved because he loved him too much. Persephone felt regret bite the back of her heart that she even had to put Kol in that position, because she knew he must've wanted to hurt Klaus as well but _not like that_. She was stupid, getting ahead of herself and making heavy decisions with split seconds of thought.

So as she took his hand and helped him up, she whispered, "I'm sorry, I-" but was cut off by him bringing her into his chest and hugging her. Persephone didn't bother attempting to continue talking, instead she just gave him what he wanted and rested her head on his heart, knotting her hands behind his back. His chest vibrated as he let out a shuddering breath and she relaxed into him.

"I want you to make me a promise, Persephone."

His voice rumbled through her body, and she went to lean back but his arms were solid around her, so she just said, "what is it?"

"Stop _apologizing_ for everything."

This time, Kol let her lean back, and she lifted her hands up and held his face between her palms. "Only if you do too."

There was a pause, he took a breath, and then- "I promise."

"Okay, Kol, then I promise too."

He nodded, kissed her forehead, and then pulled at her hands, holding onto one while letting the other fall by her side. Kol stepped back, eyes flickering over to his two elder brothers, who stood at the side conversing quietly. Persephone looked at them as well, feeling her regret resurface, but without any guilt. She was torn away when Kol gently tugged at her arm.

"We'll go to my room," he said, pressing her hand to his lips. Just as Persephone was about to respond, nod, follow after him, escape whatever hell the dining room was, a voice cut in the room.

"How… _domestic_."

Rebekah had appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed and a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. Kol rolled his eyes and said sourly, "why don't you piss off, Rebekah?"

Obviously knowing he was still angry with her, yet also aware it was justified, she held her hands up in submission, and responded, "I'm not here for you," and then turned to Klaus, who watched her warily, his hands on his hips and his back slightly hunched, "guess who just turned up on our doorstep?"

There was a long moment where he just stared at her, and everyone stared at him, the expectant silence hanging heavy. Then, he was gone, leaving Rebekah laughing, Elijah shaking his head, and Kol wondering what happened.

Persephone found she didn't really care.

"Well who is it?" Kol asked suddenly, impatiently.

Rebekah gave him a knowing smile, her eyes flickering from Kol to Persephone then back to Kol, before saying, "only the love of his life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. X
> 
> **Next Chapter - Klaus' love meets everyone, and Persephone and Kol get to know each other again.**


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